HighTower Advisors LLC Increases Stock Holdings in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA)

HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) by 107.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 22,172 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,468 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in CNA Financial were worth $1,066,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CNA. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its position in shares of CNA Financial by 4.1% in the third quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 6,526 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $319,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in 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 worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 10.4% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,897 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $180,000 after buying an additional 366 shares in the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of CNA Financial by 1.1% in the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 39,256 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,809,000 after buying an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wakefield Asset Management LLLP raised its position in shares of CNA Financial by 4.5% in the second quarter. Wakefield Asset Management LLLP now owns 10,205 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $470,000 after buying an additional 440 shares during the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of CNA Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Bank of America increased their price target on CNA Financial from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective 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.

CNA Financial Price Performance

Shares of CNA stock opened at $48.41 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $49.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.33. CNA Financial Co. has a 12 month low of $40.99 and a 12 month high of $52.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.26 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The company has a market capitalization of $13.11 billion, a PE ratio of 10.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.20 and a beta of 0.66.

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

CNA Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.64%. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CNA Financial

In related news, EVP Douglas Worman sold 22,973 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.75, for a total transaction of $1,119,933.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 133,777 shares in the company, valued at $6,521,628.75. This trade represents a 14.66 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.