Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Issues Pessimistic Forecast for CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Stock Price

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) had its target price cut by research analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $54.00 to $53.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “market perform” rating on the insurance provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price target points to a potential upside of 8.24% from the company’s current price.

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded CNA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday.

CNA Financial Stock Performance

CNA Financial stock opened at $48.97 on Wednesday. CNA Financial has a fifty-two week low of $42.33 and a fifty-two week high of $52.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.26. The stock has a market cap of $13.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.20 and a beta of 0.66. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $48.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $49.09.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.14. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 13.30% and a net margin of 9.26%. On average, equities research analysts expect that CNA Financial will post 4.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of CNA Financial

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CNA. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in CNA Financial by 107.1% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 22,172 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,066,000 after acquiring an additional 11,468 shares during the period. Creative Planning lifted its position in CNA Financial by 16.5% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 16,067 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $786,000 after purchasing an additional 2,272 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 69.3% during the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 26,737 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,309,000 after purchasing an additional 10,940 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 43.9% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 41,051 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,009,000 after purchasing an additional 12,528 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 108.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 31,444 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,539,000 after buying an additional 16,377 shares during the period. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About CNA Financial

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.