Wall Street Zen Downgrades CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO) to Hold

CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on CNO. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of CNO Financial Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on CNO Financial Group from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded CNO Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $42.00 to $47.00 in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CNO Financial Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.75.

CNO Financial Group Stock Up 5.5%

Shares of CNO opened at $44.65 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $42.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $40.23. CNO Financial Group has a 12 month low of $34.63 and a 12 month high of $44.84. The company has a market capitalization of $4.26 billion, a PE ratio of 20.02 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.

CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.27. CNO Financial Group had a return on equity of 15.93% and a net margin of 4.94%.The company had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.18 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that CNO Financial Group will post 3.83 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other CNO Financial Group news, CMO Rocco F. Tarasi III sold 9,283 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.60, for a total transaction of $395,455.80. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 73,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,149,503.20. This represents a 11.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CIO Eric R. Johnson sold 48,665 shares of CNO Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.24, for a total transaction of $2,006,944.60. Following the transaction, the executive owned 671,542 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,694,392.08. This represents a 6.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 89,378 shares of company stock worth $3,722,146 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CNO Financial Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Optiver Holding B.V. boosted its stake in CNO Financial Group by 90.1% during the 3rd quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 637 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CNO Financial Group by 353.0% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 743 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 579 shares in the last quarter. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of CNO Financial Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in shares of CNO Financial Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in CNO Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.43% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about CNO Financial Group

Here are the key news stories impacting CNO Financial Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat analyst estimates — CNO reported $1.47 GAAP EPS vs. consensus ~$1.20, above last year’s $1.18 and topping forecasts, which is a primary driver of upside. CNO Financial (CNO) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue topped expectations — Q4 revenue of ~$1.14B exceeded analyst forecasts (~$1.0B) and was up ~4.2% year-over-year, supporting the EPS beat and showing growth across businesses. CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO) Posts Better-Than-Expected Sales In Q4 CY2025
• Positive Sentiment: Stronger collected premiums across annuity, life and health lifted results — management cited higher collected premiums in multiple product lines as a key contributor to the beat. CNO Beats Q4 Earnings Estimates on Higher Collected Premiums
• Neutral Sentiment: Company says it achieved/exceeded most 2025 guidance metrics — that supports medium-term credibility but investors will watch forward guidance and margin outlook for confirmation. CNO Financial Group Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 commentary and slide deck available — investors can review the earnings call transcript and slide materials for details on reserves, product mix and capital. CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Rising costs are a headwind — despite the beat, management flagged higher costs that pressured margins, so sustaining margin expansion will be key to future stock moves. CNO Beats Q4 Earnings Estimates on Higher Collected Premiums

About CNO Financial Group

CNO Financial Group is an Indiana‐based holding company that offers a range of insurance and retirement solutions through its operating subsidiaries. Its primary business activities include life insurance, annuities, and supplemental health insurance products designed to help individuals plan for retirement and manage health‐related expenses. The company serves middle‐income Americans, with particular emphasis on senior customers seeking guaranteed coverage and reliable income streams.

Originally founded as Conseco in 1979, the company underwent a financial restructuring and rebranded as CNO Financial Group in 2010.