CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Shares Sold by Vestcor Inc

Vestcor Inc reduced its position in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) by 32.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 10,889 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 5,116 shares during the quarter. Vestcor Inc’s holdings in CNA Financial were worth $527,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its stake in CNA Financial by 21.3% in the 4th quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 136,647 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $6,610,000 after buying an additional 24,007 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of CNA Financial by 1,785.7% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,112 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $102,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of CNA Financial by 663.4% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 771 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 670 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of CNA Financial by 38.5% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 30,707 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,485,000 after purchasing an additional 8,535 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AGF Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of CNA Financial during the 4th quarter worth $2,533,000. 98.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CNA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of CNA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on shares of CNA Financial from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th.

CNA Financial Price Performance

CNA Financial stock opened at $49.05 on Monday. CNA Financial Co. has a 52 week low of $42.33 and a 52 week high of $52.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $48.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is $48.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.29 billion, a PE ratio of 13.93, a P/E/G ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.68.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.14. CNA Financial had a net margin of 6.72% and a return on equity of 12.90%. On average, equities research analysts predict that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.75%. This is a positive change from CNA Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio is 52.27%.

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.