NFJ Investment Group LLC Lowers Stock Position in Cincinnati Financial Co. (NASDAQ:CINF)

NFJ Investment Group LLC trimmed its holdings in Cincinnati Financial Co. (NASDAQ:CINF) by 9.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 70,758 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 7,449 shares during the period. NFJ Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Cincinnati Financial were worth $10,168,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of CINF. Regal Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Cincinnati Financial by 105.9% in the fourth quarter. Regal Investment Advisors LLC now owns 43,817 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $6,297,000 after purchasing an additional 22,534 shares during the period. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Cincinnati Financial by 10.5% during the fourth quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $384,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC increased its position in Cincinnati Financial by 451.7% in the 4th quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 9,914 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,425,000 after acquiring an additional 8,117 shares during the period. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board purchased a new stake in Cincinnati Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,067,000. Finally, Guggenheim Capital LLC lifted its position in Cincinnati Financial by 231.5% during the 4th quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 14,850 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,134,000 after acquiring an additional 10,370 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.24% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on CINF shares. StockNews.com cut Cincinnati Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Roth Mkm upped their price objective on shares of Cincinnati Financial from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on shares of Cincinnati Financial from $182.00 to $148.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Cincinnati Financial currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $147.40.

Cincinnati Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CINF opened at $133.33 on Wednesday. Cincinnati Financial Co. has a 12 month low of $109.93 and a 12 month high of $161.75. The business has a 50-day moving average of $139.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $142.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.29 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.87 billion, a PE ratio of 9.18, a P/E/G ratio of 8.30 and a beta of 0.53.

Cincinnati Financial (NASDAQ:CINF) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $3.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $1.24. Cincinnati Financial had a net margin of 20.22% and a return on equity of 9.01%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Cincinnati Financial Co. will post 5.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Cincinnati Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 24th were given a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 24th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.61%. This is an increase from Cincinnati Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Cincinnati Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.97%.

Cincinnati Financial Profile

Cincinnati Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides property casualty insurance products in the United States. It operates through five segments: Commercial Lines Insurance, Personal Lines Insurance, Excess and Surplus Lines Insurance, Life Insurance, and Investments. The Commercial Lines Insurance segment offers coverage for commercial casualty, commercial property, commercial auto, and workers' compensation.