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

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) had its price target lowered by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $54.00 to $53.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a market perform rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of CNA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday.

CNA Financial Stock Performance

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

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

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. This is a positive change from CNA Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio is 36.67%.

Institutional Trading of CNA Financial

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Savant Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 2.6% in the 4th 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 period. US Bancorp DE raised its position in CNA Financial by 7.4% in the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,703 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $179,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its stake in CNA Financial by 4.1% during the third quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 6,526 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $319,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in CNA Financial by 29.2% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,265 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 286 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of CNA Financial by 16.7% during the fourth 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 period. 98.45% of the stock is currently 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.