Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership Has $17.58 Million Stock Position in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA)

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in shares of CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) by 36.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 363,389 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 97,180 shares during the quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership’s holdings in CNA Financial were worth $17,577,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 107.1% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 22,172 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,066,000 after acquiring an additional 11,468 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 108.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 31,444 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,539,000 after purchasing an additional 16,377 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of CNA Financial by 43.9% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 41,051 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,009,000 after purchasing an additional 12,528 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 66.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,177,110 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $56,937,000 after buying an additional 468,058 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in shares of CNA Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $255,000. Institutional investors own 98.45% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at CNA Financial

In related news, CAO Daniel Paul Franzetti sold 12,991 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.06, for a total transaction of $637,338.46. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 75,612 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,709,524.72. This trade represents a 14.66 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Chairman Dino Robusto sold 6,250 shares of CNA Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.06, for a total transaction of $319,125.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 718,088 shares in the company, valued at $36,665,573.28. This trade represents a 0.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 25,491 shares of company stock valued at $1,261,838. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

CNA Financial Price Performance

NYSE:CNA opened at $47.00 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.28. The firm has a market cap of $12.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.35, a P/E/G ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.68. CNA Financial Co. has a 52 week low of $42.33 and a 52 week high of $52.36. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $49.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $48.87.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.14. CNA Financial had a net margin of 6.72% and a return on equity of 12.90%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.92%. This is an increase from CNA Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 52.27%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on CNA shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of CNA Financial from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com cut CNA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th.

CNA Financial Company Profile

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.