CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Short Interest Update

CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 813,400 shares, an increase of 19.6% from the November 30th total of 680,100 shares. Currently, 0.3% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 277,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.9 days.

CNA Financial Stock Performance

Shares of CNA traded down $0.53 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $48.40. 159,778 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 274,698. The stock has a market cap of $13.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.08, a P/E/G ratio of 6.20 and a beta of 0.66. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $48.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $48.49. CNA Financial has a 1 year low of $41.64 and a 1 year high of $52.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.26.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $3.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.15 billion. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 13.30% and a net margin of 9.26%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.06 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that CNA Financial will post 4.68 earnings per share for the current year.

CNA Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.64%. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on CNA. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of CNA Financial from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com raised CNA Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on CNA Financial from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th.

Insider Transactions at CNA Financial

In related news, EVP Douglas Worman sold 22,973 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.75, for a total transaction of $1,119,933.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 133,777 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,521,628.75. This represents a 14.66 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CNA Financial

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new position in CNA Financial in the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Fairscale Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of CNA Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at about $55,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 17.3% during the 2nd quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,059 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in CNA Financial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $146,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE raised its stake in CNA Financial by 26.6% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,449 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $169,000 after acquiring an additional 725 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.45% of the company’s stock.

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.