Insider Selling: CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Chairman Sells 6,250 Shares of Stock

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

CNA Financial Price Performance

CNA stock traded down $0.31 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $49.03. The stock had a trading volume of 280,203 shares, compared to its average volume of 284,165. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $48.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $48.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a market cap of $13.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.93, a price-to-earnings-growth 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.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Institutional Trading of CNA Financial

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 102.7% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 20,269 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $980,000 after acquiring an additional 10,269 shares during the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of CNA Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $387,000. Patrick Mauro Investment Advisor INC. increased its position in shares of CNA Financial by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Patrick Mauro Investment Advisor INC. now owns 129,991 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $6,288,000 after purchasing an additional 950 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CNA Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $1,655,000. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of CNA Financial by 102.4% during the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 35,134 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,699,000 after purchasing an additional 17,779 shares during the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.