CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Plans $0.44 Quarterly Dividend

CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) declared a quarterly dividend on Monday, July 29th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th will be given a dividend of 0.44 per share by the insurance provider on Thursday, August 29th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 12th.

CNA Financial has increased its dividend by an average of 4.3% annually over the last three years. CNA Financial has a payout ratio of 33.5% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect CNA Financial to earn $5.08 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.76 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 34.6%.

CNA Financial Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE CNA traded down $0.15 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $49.09. 26,483 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 256,622. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.64. The business’s fifty day moving average is $45.56 and its 200 day moving average is $44.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.27. CNA Financial has a fifty-two week low of $37.95 and a fifty-two week high of $50.79.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The insurance provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 14.27% and a net margin of 9.17%. The business had revenue of $3.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.13 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that CNA Financial will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on CNA shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of CNA Financial from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of CNA Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 16th.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Daniel Paul Franzetti sold 23,301 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.78, for a total transaction of $1,043,418.78. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 63,996 shares in the company, valued at $2,865,740.88. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

CNA Financial Company Profile

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.