At StockNews.com, CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) was upgraded to “Buy.”

In a research note made available to clients and investors on Tuesday, investment experts at StockNews.com upgraded CNA Financial (NYSE: CNA) from a “hold” recommendation to a “buy” rating.

CNA Financial (NYSE: CNA) published its most recent quarterly earnings report on Monday, October 31. The insurance company’s $0.78 EPS for the quarter was $0.17 over the typical forecast. The company’s revenue for the quarter was $2.65 billion, compared to the average projection of $2.63 billion. CNA Financial’s net margin and return on equity were 7.71% and 10.08%, respectively. At the same time last year, the company reported $0.87 in earnings per share. For the entire year, analysts forecast $3.69 earnings per share for CNA Financial.
In other news, Corp Loews, a major shareholder, purchased 47,899 shares on September 8.
The stock was bought at an average price of $40.08 per share for a total transaction cost of $1,919,791.92.
As a consequence of the purchase, the insider now owns 243,526,599 company shares valued at $9,760,546,087.92. A document submitted to the SEC and posted online contains information about the acquisition. In related news, EVP Douglas Worman sold 21,048 company stock on November 18. The stock was sold for a total transaction value of $883,174.08 at an average price of $41.96 per share. After the deal was completed, the executive vice president now owns 98,286 company shares with a market value of $4,124,080.56. In a document that may be viewed on the SEC website, the Securities and Exchange Commission was informed of the sale. Corp. Loews, a significant stakeholder, bought 47,899 shares of company stock on September 8. At an average price of $40.08 per share, the total cost of the shares was $1,919,791.92. The insider will own 243,526,599 company shares with a market value of $9,760,546,087.92 if the transaction is complete. The disclosure for this transaction can be read here. Insiders have spent $8,895,438 on 226,431 shares of company stock over the last 90 days. Company insiders currently own 0.24% of the stock.

On Tuesday, the opening price of CNA Financial’s stock was $41.49 per share. The stock price is currently $41.59, and its 200-day moving average is $40.55. According to a PE ratio of 12.39, an earnings-growth price-to-earnings ratio of 2.27, and a beta of 0.69, the company is valued at $11.24 billion. The company’s quick, current, and quick ratios are all 0.26, while its debt-to-equity ratio is 0.34. CNA Financial’s 52-week high and low are both $50.33.

Hedge funds recently changed the proportion of stock they were holding. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in CNA Financial by 6.7% during the first quarter. During the fourth quarter, First Trust Advisors LP added 104,417 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, bringing its total number of shares in position to 1,653,694, valued at $80,403,000. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in CNA Financial by 8.7% during the first quarter. A total of 1,150,456 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, worth $55,935,000, have just been acquired by BlackRock Inc. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in CNA Financial by 20.5% during the second quarter. Over the last three months, Victory Capital Management Inc. has added 156,101 shares to its insurance provider’s stock holdings, bringing its total to 918,979 shares worth $41,262,000. Private Management Group Inc. boosted its stake in CNA Financial by 1.1% during the third quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 893,764 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at $32,980,000, after acquiring an additional 9,929 shares over the last quarter.
Lastly, Bank of New York Mellon Corp. increased its stake in CNA Financial by 3.9% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 881,416 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at $32,524,000, after acquiring an additional 32,972 shares in the most recent quarter. Hedge funds and institutional investors now own 98.54% of the stock.

The main insurance products that CNA Financial Corporation provides in the US are liability and commercial property insurance. Its business is divided into Specialty, Commercial, International, Life & Group, and Corporate & Other divisions. The company can cover small and medium businesses, publicly traded companies, privately held companies, and not-for-profit organizations’ needs for directors and officers, employment procedures, and fiduciary and loyalty standards. In addition to the usual property and casualty coverages, the organization offers professional and general liability insurance for healthcare facilities.