Cincinnati Financial Co. (NASDAQ:CINF) Short Interest Up 18.0% in February

Cincinnati Financial Co. (NASDAQ:CINF) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 2,560,000 shares, an increase of 18.0% from the February 13th total of 2,170,000 shares. Approximately 1.7% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 724,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cincinnati Financial

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Cincinnati Financial during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in Cincinnati Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd grew its holdings in Cincinnati Financial by 121.8% during the 4th quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 193 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in Cincinnati Financial during the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new position in Cincinnati Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.24% of the company’s stock.

Cincinnati Financial Stock Up 0.8 %

NASDAQ:CINF traded up $1.11 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $146.99. The stock had a trading volume of 179,314 shares, compared to its average volume of 598,832. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $139.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $142.25. Cincinnati Financial has a 1-year low of $109.93 and a 1-year high of $161.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The company has a market cap of $23.01 billion, a PE ratio of 10.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.30 and a beta of 0.66.

Cincinnati Financial (NASDAQ:CINF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $3.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. Analysts predict that Cincinnati Financial will post 5.36 EPS for the current year.

Cincinnati Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 24th will be issued a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 24th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.37%. This is an increase from Cincinnati Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Cincinnati Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.97%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CINF has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Roth Mkm lifted their price objective on Cincinnati Financial from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Cincinnati Financial from $180.00 to $182.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.00.

Cincinnati Financial Company 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.