CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Shares Purchased by CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co

CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its position in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA - Free Report) by 119.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,447 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 6,784 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co's holdings in CNA Financial were worth $602,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CNA. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 663.4% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 771 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 670 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in CNA Financial by 29.2% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,265 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 286 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC increased its holdings in CNA Financial by 28.3% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,475 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of CNA Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $74,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in CNA Financial by 16.7% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,051 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $99,000 after purchasing an additional 293 shares during the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at CNA Financial

In related news, Chairman Dino Robusto purchased 3,896 shares of CNA Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $47.63 per share, for a total transaction of $185,566.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 724,338 shares in the company, valued at $34,500,218.94. The trade was a 0.54 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Daniel Paul Franzetti sold 12,991 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.06, for a total value of $637,338.46. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 75,612 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,709,524.72. This represents a 14.66 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,741 shares of company stock worth $1,559,401. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

CNA Financial Stock Performance

CNA Financial stock traded up $0.85 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $48.29. 294,745 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 326,131. CNA Financial Co. has a fifty-two week low of $42.33 and a fifty-two week high of $52.36. The firm's fifty day moving average is $48.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.28 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The company has a market capitalization of $13.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.47.

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

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 13th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.81%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This is an increase from CNA Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. CNA Financial's dividend payout ratio is 52.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CNA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced 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. StockNews.com downgraded CNA Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th.

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.