CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Shares Sold by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio reduced its position in shares of CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) by 9.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,324 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 1,189 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in CNA Financial were worth $446,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of CNA. MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in CNA Financial in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in CNA Financial by 258.1% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 555 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Credit Suisse AG purchased a new position in CNA Financial in the 2nd quarter worth about $38,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new position in CNA Financial in the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in CNA Financial in the 1st quarter worth about $53,000. 98.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CNA Financial Price Performance

CNA Financial stock opened at $44.85 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market cap of $12.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.64. The business’s fifty day moving average is $44.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.10. CNA Financial Co. has a 52 week low of $36.41 and a 52 week high of $47.37.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $3.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 14.33% and a net margin of 9.06%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.01 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that CNA Financial Co. will post 5.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a None dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were paid a $2.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 16th. This represents a yield of 3.8%. This is a positive change from CNA Financial’s previous None dividend of $1.62. CNA Financial’s payout ratio is currently 39.73%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on CNA shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on CNA Financial from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Bank of America lowered CNA Financial from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $39.00 to $43.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded CNA Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th.

CNA Financial Company Profile

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.