CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Chairman Dino Robusto Sells 6,250 Shares

CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Chairman Dino Robusto sold 6,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.86, for a total transaction of $305,375.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 720,442 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $35,200,796.12. This trade represents a 0.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

CNA Financial Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of CNA opened at $49.03 on Wednesday. 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 company has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $48.94. CNA Financial Co. has a 52 week low of $42.33 and a 52 week high of $52.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.93, a P/E/G ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.68.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.14. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 12.90% and a net margin of 6.72%. On average, equities research analysts expect that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 13th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.75%. This is a boost from CNA Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. CNA Financial’s payout ratio is presently 52.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on CNA. StockNews.com downgraded CNA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on CNA Financial from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 12th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CNA Financial

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 41.4% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,939,336 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $93,806,000 after acquiring an additional 567,926 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $56,937,000 after purchasing an additional 468,058 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in CNA Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $14,859,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in CNA Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $13,129,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in CNA Financial by 20.1% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,486,853 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $71,919,000 after buying an additional 249,346 shares during the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by 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.