CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO) Stock Price Down 4.3%

Shares of CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CNO - Get Free Report) were down 4.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $24.92 and last traded at $24.93. Approximately 972,491 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 32% from the average daily volume of 734,528 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.05.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on CNO. StockNews.com lowered CNO Financial Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 4th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of CNO Financial Group from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of CNO Financial Group from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $26.25.

CNO Financial Group Trading Down 3.4 %

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $26.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $26.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.44 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50.

CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.33. CNO Financial Group had a net margin of 6.67% and a return on equity of 17.51%. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $934.05 million. On average, analysts anticipate that CNO Financial Group, Inc. will post 3.14 EPS for the current year.

CNO Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th were given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.39%. CNO Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 24.90%.

Insider Transactions at CNO Financial Group

In other news, EVP Matthew J. Zimpfer sold 3,220 shares of CNO Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.76, for a total transaction of $86,167.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 278,997 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,465,959.72. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Gary C. Bhojwani sold 16,837 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.00, for a total value of $454,599.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 406,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,983,816. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Matthew J. Zimpfer sold 3,220 shares of CNO Financial Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.76, for a total value of $86,167.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 278,997 shares in the company, valued at $7,465,959.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 152,590 shares of company stock worth $4,116,255. Corporate insiders own 3.21% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CNO. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in CNO Financial Group by 10.2% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,350,120 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $32,038,000 after buying an additional 125,047 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of CNO Financial Group by 97.8% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 587,569 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $16,393,000 after purchasing an additional 290,585 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new stake in shares of CNO Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,257,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its position in shares of CNO Financial Group by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,838,581 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $43,630,000 after purchasing an additional 22,012 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ibex Wealth Advisors acquired a new stake in CNO Financial Group during the third quarter worth approximately $466,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.43% of the company's stock.

About CNO Financial Group

CNO Financial Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops, markets, and administers health insurance, annuity, individual life insurance, insurance products, and financial services for senior and middle-income markets in the United States. It offers Medicare supplement, supplemental health, and long-term care insurance policies; life insurance; and annuities, as well as Medicare advantage plans to individuals through phone, online, mail, and face-to-face.