CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Buy Rating

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.

Several other research analysts have also commented on CNA. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on CNA Financial from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Bank of America boosted their price target on CNA Financial from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th.

CNA Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CNA opened at $48.33 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.09 billion, a PE ratio of 10.07, a P/E/G ratio of 6.35 and a beta of 0.65. CNA Financial has a 12 month low of $38.87 and a 12 month high of $52.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.26 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The business has a 50-day moving average of $49.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $47.51.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.01. CNA Financial had a net margin of 9.26% and a return on equity of 13.30%. The company had revenue of $3.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.15 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.06 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that CNA Financial will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at CNA Financial

In other CNA Financial news, EVP Mark Steven James sold 18,547 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.58, for a total value of $938,107.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 22,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,159,141.86. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, EVP Douglas Worman sold 22,973 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.75, for a total value of $1,119,933.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 133,777 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,521,628.75. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Mark Steven James sold 18,547 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.58, for a total value of $938,107.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 22,917 shares in the company, valued at $1,159,141.86. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 67,680 shares of company stock worth $3,355,577 in the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of CNA Financial

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its position in CNA Financial by 335.4% during the 1st quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 30,046 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,365,000 after purchasing an additional 23,146 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in CNA Financial in the 1st quarter valued at about $520,000. Symmetry Partners LLC boosted its stake in CNA Financial by 318.3% during the 2nd quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC now owns 20,361 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $938,000 after purchasing an additional 15,493 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in CNA Financial by 97.9% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,152,528 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $51,760,000 after purchasing an additional 570,172 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Creative Planning increased its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 16.5% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 16,067 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $786,000 after purchasing an additional 2,272 shares during the period. 98.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About CNA Financial

CNA Financial Corporation provides commercial property and casualty insurance products in the United States and internationally. It operates through Specialty, Commercial, International, Life & Group, and Corporate & Other segments. The company offers professional liability coverages and risk management services to various professional firms, including architects, real estate agents, and accounting and law firms; directors and officers, employment practices, fiduciary, and fidelity and cyber coverages to small and mid-size firms, public and privately held firms, and not-for-profit organizations; professional and general liability, as well as associated casualty coverages for healthcare industry; surety and fidelity bonds; and warranty and alternative risks products.