CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.27 EPS

CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The financial services provider reported $1.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.27, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1 billion. CNO Financial Group had a return on equity of 15.81% and a net margin of 6.64%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.18 earnings per share.

CNO Financial Group Stock Up 3.4%

NYSE:CNO traded up $1.44 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $43.75. 297,845 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 571,299. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The company has a market cap of $4.17 billion, a PE ratio of 15.30 and a beta of 0.84. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $42.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.18. CNO Financial Group has a one year low of $34.63 and a one year high of $44.36.

CNO Financial Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 10th were given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 10th. CNO Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 23.78%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CNO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of CNO Financial Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of CNO Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of CNO Financial Group from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of CNO Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $42.00 to $47.00 in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on CNO Financial Group from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.75.

Key Stories Impacting CNO Financial Group

Here are the key news stories impacting CNO Financial Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — CNO reported EPS of $1.47 vs. a $1.20 consensus and revenue of $1.14B vs. ~$1.0B est., driven by growth across the business and helping lift the stock. Zacks: CNO Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Company guidance and scorecard — CNO said it achieved, and in most cases exceeded, its 2025 guidance, which supports near-term investor confidence in management execution. PR Newswire: CNO Reports Q4 and FY2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Improving operating metrics — Revenue rose ~4.2% year-over-year; net margin ~6.6% and ROE ~15.8% indicate profitable growth that supports valuation. MarketBeat: Q4 Results and Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst / market commentary — Coverage pieces and earnings previews highlight the beat but raise the question of whether CNO can sustain momentum through 2026; analysts still model multi-dollar EPS for the year. Investing.com: Can insurer sustain momentum?
• Neutral Sentiment: Conference call and disclosures available — Management’s slide deck and call replay are posted for details on drivers, assumptions and reserve trends; useful for assessing forward outlook. Slide Deck / Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: Balance-sheet / liquidity considerations — Reported quick/current ratios are low (typical for some insurers but worth monitoring) and debt-to-equity is elevated, which could constrain flexibility if claim or capital pressures rise. Yahoo Finance: Q4 Sales Beat

Insider Transactions at CNO Financial Group

In other CNO Financial Group news, CMO Rocco F. Tarasi III sold 9,283 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.60, for a total value of $395,455.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 73,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,149,503.20. This represents a 11.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Gary C. Bhojwani sold 31,430 shares of CNO Financial Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.99, for a total transaction of $1,319,745.70. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 195,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,226,932.74. This represents a 13.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 89,378 shares of company stock worth $3,722,146 in the last quarter. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of CNO Financial Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CNO. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in CNO Financial Group by 123.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,176 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 649 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CNO Financial Group by 39.2% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,194 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 336 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in CNO Financial Group by 637.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,438 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 1,243 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its holdings in CNO Financial Group by 111.4% during the third quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 5,846 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $231,000 after buying an additional 3,081 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC raised its position in CNO Financial Group by 7.0% in the third quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 7,779 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $308,000 after acquiring an additional 510 shares during the period. 95.43% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About CNO Financial Group

CNO Financial Group is an Indiana‐based holding company that offers a range of insurance and retirement solutions through its operating subsidiaries. Its primary business activities include life insurance, annuities, and supplemental health insurance products designed to help individuals plan for retirement and manage health‐related expenses. The company serves middle‐income Americans, with particular emphasis on senior customers seeking guaranteed coverage and reliable income streams.

Originally founded as Conseco in 1979, the company underwent a financial restructuring and rebranded as CNO Financial Group in 2010.