CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Price Target Lowered to $53.00 at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) had its price objective reduced by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $54.00 to $53.00 in a research note published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has a market perform rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded CNA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday.

CNA Financial Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:CNA opened at $48.65 on Wednesday. CNA Financial has a fifty-two week low of $42.33 and a fifty-two week high of $52.36. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $48.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $49.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The stock has a market cap of $13.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.14 and a beta of 0.66.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.14. CNA Financial had a net margin of 9.26% and a return on equity of 13.30%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that CNA Financial will post 4.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.78%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. This is an increase from CNA Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. CNA Financial’s payout ratio is currently 36.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Savant Capital LLC lifted its position in CNA Financial by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 9,139 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $442,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of CNA Financial by 7.4% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,703 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $179,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 6,526 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $319,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of CNA Financial by 29.2% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,265 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 286 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in CNA Financial by 16.7% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,051 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $99,000 after buying an additional 293 shares during the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.