CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Raised to “Buy” at StockNews.com

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

CNA has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on CNA Financial from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of 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 Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE:CNA opened at $48.33 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.26. CNA Financial has a 1 year low of $38.87 and a 1 year high of $52.36. The stock has a market cap of $13.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.07, a P/E/G ratio of 6.35 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $49.22 and a 200-day simple 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 for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.06 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that CNA Financial will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Mark Steven James sold 18,547 shares of CNA Financial stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.58, for a total transaction of $938,107.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 22,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,159,141.86. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other CNA Financial news, EVP Mark Steven James sold 18,547 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.58, for a total value of $938,107.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 22,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,159,141.86. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Elizabeth Ann Aguinaga sold 26,160 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.60, for a total transaction of $1,297,536.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 47,744 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,368,102.40. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 67,680 shares of company stock worth $3,355,577 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CNA Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CNA. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its holdings in CNA Financial by 65.8% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 10,665 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $522,000 after purchasing an additional 4,231 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its stake in shares of 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 valued at $319,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC boosted its position in CNA Financial by 69.3% during the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 26,737 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,309,000 after acquiring an additional 10,940 shares during the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP grew its stake in CNA Financial by 131.8% in the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 35,470 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,736,000 after acquiring an additional 20,169 shares during the period. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new position in CNA Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at $840,000. 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.