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

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

CNA Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CNA traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $48.39. 198,540 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 326,259. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $48.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $48.61. The company has a market cap of $13.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.75, a PEG ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.28 and a quick ratio of 0.28. CNA Financial has a 52 week low of $42.85 and a 52 week high of $52.36.

CNA Financial Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at CNA Financial

In other CNA Financial news, CAO Daniel Paul Franzetti sold 12,991 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were 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 directly owns 75,612 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,709,524.72. This represents a 14.66 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Dino Robusto sold 6,250 shares of CNA Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.61, for a total transaction of $297,562.50. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 31,741 shares of company stock worth $1,559,401 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CNA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of CNA Financial from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com lowered shares of CNA Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note 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.