Zacks Research Lowers Earnings Estimates for CNA Financial

Key Points

• Zacks Research lowered its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for CNA Financial to $1.09 from $1.19 and maintained a Strong Sell rating, signaling increased caution on near-term earnings.
• CNA reported weaker-than-expected quarterly earnings of $0.83 per share, missing the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.47, even though revenue came in ahead of expectations at $3.68 billion.
• The company continues to pay a sizable dividend, declaring a quarterly payout of $0.48 per share, which works out to an annualized yield of about 4.3%.

CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE:CNA - Free Report) - Research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of CNA Financial in a note issued to investors on Monday, May 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will earn $1.09 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $1.19. Zacks Research currently has a "Strong Sell" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for CNA Financial's current full-year earnings is $4.33 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for CNA Financial's Q3 2026 earnings at $1.21 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.30 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.21 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.25 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.98 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.95 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings cut CNA Financial from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen cut CNA Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, February 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, CNA Financial presently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

CNA Financial Price Performance

Shares of CNA stock opened at $44.29 on Wednesday. CNA Financial has a twelve month low of $42.48 and a twelve month high of $50.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.91, a P/E/G ratio of 5.74 and a beta of 0.35. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $46.18 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The insurance provider reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.30 by ($0.47). CNA Financial had a return on equity of 11.57% and a net margin of 8.08%.The firm had revenue of $3.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.03 earnings per share.

CNA Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be issued a $0.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.3%. CNA Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 42.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CNA Financial

In other news, SVP Jeffrey John Neuenschwander sold 3,287 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.97, for a total value of $151,103.39. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 7,277 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $334,523.69. This represents a 31.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CNA. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 34.6% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,101,092 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $96,482,000 after purchasing an additional 540,448 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 409.1% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 604,963 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $28,107,000 after purchasing an additional 486,127 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in CNA Financial by 1,509,521.9% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 483,079 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $23,062,000 after acquiring an additional 483,047 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in CNA Financial by 8,100.7% during the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 484,580 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $23,134,000 after acquiring an additional 478,671 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in CNA Financial by 14.6% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,784,682 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $132,941,000 after acquiring an additional 354,076 shares during the period. 98.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key CNA Financial News

Here are the key news stories impacting CNA Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its estimates for CNA Financial’s Q3 2026, Q2 2027, and Q4 2027 earnings, and also kept longer-term forecasts relatively firm, suggesting some confidence in the company’s earnings power. CNA Financial stock page
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles about CNA Financial’s valuation and post-earnings setup suggest the stock may be attractive after recent weakness, but these pieces are more interpretive than direct catalysts. Is CNA Financial (CNA) Attractive After Recent Weakness And Excess Returns Signal Potential Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: TipRanks highlighted management’s earnings call as balancing growth and caution, reinforcing that the market is still weighing execution against near-term uncertainty. CNA Financial Balances Growth and Caution in Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research reiterated a Strong Sell rating and cut estimates for Q2 2026, FY2027, and FY2028, signaling concern that earnings momentum may be softer than previously expected.

CNA Financial Company Profile

CNA Financial Corporation is a leading U.S.-based commercial property and casualty insurance company offering a broad portfolio of risk management and insurance solutions. The company underwrites coverage for businesses of all sizes across a variety of industry sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, energy, technology, construction and real estate. In addition to core property and casualty insurance, CNA delivers specialized products such as surety bonds, professional liability, environmental liability and commercial auto coverage.

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, CNA traces its origins to the founding of Continental Casualty Company in 1897.

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