HighTower Advisors LLC Increases Holdings in CNA Financial Co.

HighTower Advisors LLC has increased its investment in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) by 38.5% during the fourth quarter, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor now holds 30,707 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 8,535 shares during this period. As of the end of the last quarter, HighTower Advisors LLC's holdings in CNA Financial were valued at approximately $1,485,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently adjusted their stakes in the company. For instance, AGF Management Ltd. purchased a new position in CNA Financial during the fourth quarter amounting to about $2,533,000. Meanwhile, Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC acquired shares valued at roughly $203,000. Additionally, Machina Capital S.A.S. expanded its holdings in CNA Financial by 59.4%, now owning 6,685 shares worth $323,000 after adding 2,490 shares recently. Raymond James Financial Inc. took a significant position valued at around $13,129,000 in the same quarter, while Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought shares valued at approximately $819,000. Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 98.45% of CNA Financial's stock.

Analyst Forecasts for CNA Financial

Several analysts have provided their insights on CNA Financial’s stock. For instance, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded their target price from $54.00 to $53.00, suggesting a “market perform” rating. Additionally, StockNews.com shifted its rating from “buy” to “hold” in a report published on February 11.

Recent Insider Transactions

In relevant news, CAO Daniel Paul Franzetti sold 12,991 shares of CNA Financial stock on March 17, receiving $637,338.46 from this transaction. Following this sale, he owns 75,612 shares, estimated to be worth around $3,709,524.72. This transaction marked a decrease of 14.66% in his shareholdings. The details of this sale were publicly disclosed in a filing with the SEC. Conversely, Chairman Dino Robusto purchased 3,896 shares on March 13 at an average price of $47.63, leading to an expenditure of $185,566.48. After this acquisition, his total holdings increased to 724,338 shares, valued at about $34,500,218.94. Insiders collectively own approximately 0.30% of the company’s shares.

CNA Financial Stock Overview

As of Tuesday, NYSE CNA shares opened at $49.83. The company maintains a 50-day simple moving average of $48.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $48.87. Over the past year, CNA Financial’s stock has reached a low of $42.33 and a high of $52.36, with a market capitalization of $13.50 billion. The company has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 14.16 and a P/E to growth (P/E/G) ratio of 9.23. Furthermore, it has a beta of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, indicating a stable financial standing.

CNA Financial recently announced its quarterly earnings on February 10, reporting earnings of $1.25 per share, which outperformed analysts' expectations of $1.11. The company achieved a net margin of 6.72% and a return on equity of 12.90%. Analysts predict that CNA Financial will post earnings of $4.64 per share for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Announcement

The company also declared a quarterly dividend which was paid on March 13. Shareholders of record as of February 24 received a dividend of $0.46, marking an increase from the previous dividend of $0.44. This translates to an annualized dividend of $1.84, equating to a yield of 3.69%. The company currently has a dividend payout ratio of 52.27%.

About CNA Financial

CNA Financial Corporation provides a range of commercial property and casualty insurance products, both within the United States and internationally. Its operations are divided into several segments: Specialty, Commercial, International, Life & Group, and Corporate & Other. CNA Financial offers various coverages, including professional liability and risk management services to businesses in different sectors, as well as general and professional liability for the healthcare industry and other sectors.

HighTower, CNA, Financial