CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO) Hits New 12-Month High After Strong Earnings

Shares of CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CNO) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $44.36 and last traded at $43.76, with a volume of 204336 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $42.31.

The financial services provider reported $1.47 earnings per share (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 business had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.18 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

CNO Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 10th were issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 10th. CNO Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is 23.78%.

Key CNO Financial Group News

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised CNO Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $42.00 to $47.00 in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of CNO Financial Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Piper Sandler raised their price target on CNO Financial Group from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of CNO Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.75.

Insider Activity

In other CNO Financial Group news, CEO Gary C. Bhojwani sold 31,430 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.99, for a total value of $1,319,745.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 195,926 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,226,932.74. The trade was a 13.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CIO Eric R. Johnson sold 48,665 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the executive directly owned 671,542 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,694,392.08. The trade was a 6.76% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 89,378 shares of company stock valued at $3,722,146 over the last ninety days. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CNO Financial Group

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Optiver Holding B.V. grew its holdings in shares of CNO Financial Group by 90.1% in the third quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 637 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in 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 worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 579 shares during the last quarter. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of CNO Financial Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of CNO Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of CNO Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Institutional investors own 95.43% of the company’s stock.

CNO Financial Group Stock Up 5.5%

The company has a current ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The stock has a market cap of $4.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.02 and a beta of 0.84. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $42.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $40.23.

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.