Mraz Amerine & Associates Inc. Sells 1,356 Shares of CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA)

Mraz Amerine & Associates Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) by 7.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,358 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 1,356 shares during the quarter. Mraz Amerine & Associates Inc.’s holdings in CNA Financial were worth $692,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CNA. CENTRAL TRUST Co bought a new stake in CNA Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in CNA Financial by 258.1% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 555 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. bought a new stake in CNA Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of CNA Financial in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Credit Suisse AG bought a new position in shares of CNA Financial in the second quarter worth approximately $38,000. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CNA Financial Price Performance

CNA Financial stock traded down $0.45 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $42.82. 160,883 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 220,454. CNA Financial Co. has a 12-month low of $36.41 and a 12-month high of $47.37. The company has a market cap of $11.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.66, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $44.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $42.54.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.23. CNA Financial had a net margin of 9.06% and a return on equity of 14.33%. The business had revenue of $3.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.01 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that CNA Financial Co. will post 5.01 earnings per share for the current year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a None dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were paid a $2.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 3.8%. This is an increase from CNA Financial’s previous None dividend of $1.62. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.73%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on CNA. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of CNA Financial from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Bank of America downgraded shares of CNA Financial from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $39.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of CNA Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th.

CNA Financial 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.