CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.13 EPS

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA - Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Monday. The insurance provider reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.13), Zacks reports. CNA Financial had a net margin of 6.72% and a return on equity of 12.90%. The business had revenue of $3.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.30 earnings per share.

CNA Financial Price Performance

Shares of CNA stock traded up $0.13 on Wednesday, reaching $48.38. The company had a trading volume of 289,363 shares, compared to its average volume of 326,700. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.07 billion, a PE ratio of 13.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.53. 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 business's 50-day moving average is $48.44 and its 200 day moving average is $48.63. CNA Financial has a one year low of $42.85 and a one year high of $52.36.

CNA Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 19th. CNA Financial's payout ratio is 52.27%.

Insider Activity at CNA Financial

In related news, Chairman Dino Robusto sold 6,250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.61, for a total value of $297,562.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 711,838 shares in the company, valued at $33,890,607.18. This represents a 0.87 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Daniel Paul Franzetti sold 12,991 shares of CNA Financial stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.06, for a total value of $637,338.46. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 75,612 shares in the company, valued at $3,709,524.72. The trade was a 14.66 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 31,741 shares of company stock valued at $1,559,401 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on shares of CNA Financial from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com cut 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.