Insider Buying: CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Chairman Buys 3,896 Shares of Stock

CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Chairman Dino Robusto acquired 3,896 shares of CNA Financial stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $47.63 per share, with a total value of $185,566.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 724,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $34,500,218.94. This trade represents a 0.54 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Dino Robusto also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, March 17th, Dino Robusto sold 6,250 shares of CNA Financial stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.86, for a total value of $305,375.00.

CNA Financial Price Performance

Shares of CNA stock opened at $49.22 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $48.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $48.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The firm has a market cap of $13.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.98, a PEG ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.68. CNA Financial Co. has a 12 month low of $42.33 and a 12 month 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%. Research analysts expect that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.64 EPS for the current 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 issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.74%. This is a boost from CNA Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 52.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CNA has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com cut CNA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on CNA Financial from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CNA Financial

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CNA. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 41.4% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,939,336 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $93,806,000 after purchasing an additional 567,926 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of CNA Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $14,859,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in CNA Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $13,129,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in CNA Financial by 20.1% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,486,853 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $71,919,000 after acquiring an additional 249,346 shares in the last quarter. 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.