Should You Think About Buying CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE:CNA) Now?

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Today we're going to take a look at the well-established CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE:CNA). The company's stock saw its share price hover around a small range of $42.35 to $46.35 over the last few weeks. But is this actually reflective of the share value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at CNA Financial’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

See our latest analysis for CNA Financial

What is CNA Financial worth?

According to my valuation model, CNA Financial seems to be fairly priced at around 8.37% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy CNA Financial today, you’d be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe the company’s true value is $41.58, then there isn’t really any room for the share price grow beyond what it’s currently trading. What's more, CNA Financial’s share price may be more stable over time (relative to the market), as indicated by its low beta.

Can we expect growth from CNA Financial?

NYSE:CNA Past and Future Earnings, May 30th 2019
NYSE:CNA Past and Future Earnings, May 30th 2019

Future outlook is an important aspect when you’re looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let’s also take a look at the company's future expectations. With profit expected to grow by 34% over the next year, the near-term future seems bright for CNA Financial. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? CNA’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on CNA, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for the company, which means it’s worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters – the fundamentals – before you make a decision on CNA Financial. You can find everything you need to know about CNA Financial in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in CNA Financial, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.

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