CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Sunday.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on CNA. Zacks Research lowered shares of CNA Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 1st. Weiss Ratings raised CNA Financial from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

CNA Financial Trading Down 0.5%

CNA Financial stock opened at $48.67 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.28. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $47.32 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.80. The stock has a market cap of $13.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.38, a PEG ratio of 8.99 and a beta of 0.37. CNA Financial has a fifty-two week low of $43.29 and a fifty-two week high of $51.34.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The insurance provider reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $3.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.88 billion. CNA Financial had a net margin of 8.53% and a return on equity of 12.23%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.25 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that CNA Financial will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at CNA Financial

In other news, Chairman Dino Robusto sold 6,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.62, for a total value of $297,625.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 661,838 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,516,725.56. The trade was a 0.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CNA Financial

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CNA. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 3,972 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $190,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of CNA Financial by 70.0% during the 3rd quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management now owns 556 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in CNA Financial by 6.8% during the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,957 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $184,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in CNA Financial by 2.9% during the third quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 9,305 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $432,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the period. Finally, Ballentine Partners LLC boosted its holdings in CNA Financial by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 19,268 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $895,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.45% of the company’s stock.

CNA Financial Company Profile

CNA Financial Corporation is a leading U.S.-based commercial property and casualty insurance company offering a broad portfolio of risk management and insurance solutions. The company underwrites coverage for businesses of all sizes across a variety of industry sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, energy, technology, construction and real estate. In addition to core property and casualty insurance, CNA delivers specialized products such as surety bonds, professional liability, environmental liability and commercial auto coverage.

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, CNA traces its origins to the founding of Continental Casualty Company in 1897.