CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CNO) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CNO) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the five analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has given a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $47.50.

Several research firms have recently commented on CNO. Evercore reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $43.00 price target on shares of CNO Financial Group in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wall Street Zen lowered CNO Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on CNO Financial Group from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of CNO Financial Group in a research report on Monday, April 20th.

Insider Activity at CNO Financial Group

In other CNO Financial Group news, insider Scott L. Goldberg sold 11,060 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.97, for a total transaction of $442,068.20. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 214,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,574,524.28. This represents a 4.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Gary C. Bhojwani sold 43,021 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.05, for a total transaction of $1,852,054.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 277,526 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,947,494.30. This trade represents a 13.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 165,808 shares of company stock worth $7,113,321 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.44% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CNO Financial Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Weiss Asset Management LP acquired a new position in CNO Financial Group during the first quarter worth $1,141,000. Caxton Associates LLP grew its holdings in CNO Financial Group by 5.6% in the first quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 25,850 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,061,000 after purchasing an additional 1,362 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in CNO Financial Group by 13.5% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 388,332 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $15,944,000 after purchasing an additional 46,308 shares during the last quarter. Globeflex Capital L P purchased a new position in shares of CNO Financial Group in the first quarter valued at $371,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new position in shares of CNO Financial Group in the first quarter valued at $436,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.43% of the company’s stock.

CNO Financial Group Price Performance

Shares of CNO opened at $46.80 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $42.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.08. CNO Financial Group has a twelve month low of $35.24 and a twelve month high of $47.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.37 billion, a PE ratio of 18.79 and a beta of 0.82.

CNO Financial Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 10th will be paid a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is a positive change from CNO Financial Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.17. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 10th. CNO Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.31%.

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.