CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO) Sets New 12-Month High on Earnings Beat

Shares of CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CNO) reached a new 52-week high on Friday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $44.36 and last traded at $43.76, with a volume of 204336 shares. The stock had previously closed at $42.31.

The financial services provider reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.27. CNO Financial Group had a return on equity of 15.93% and a net margin of 4.94%.The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.18 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis.

CNO Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 10th were paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 10th. CNO Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.78%.

Trending Headlines about CNO Financial Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat analyst estimates — CNO reported $1.47 GAAP EPS vs. consensus ~$1.20, above last year’s $1.18 and topping forecasts, which is a primary driver of upside. CNO Financial (CNO) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue topped expectations — Q4 revenue of ~$1.14B exceeded analyst forecasts (~$1.0B) and was up ~4.2% year-over-year, supporting the EPS beat and showing growth across businesses. CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO) Posts Better-Than-Expected Sales In Q4 CY2025
• Positive Sentiment: Stronger collected premiums across annuity, life and health lifted results — management cited higher collected premiums in multiple product lines as a key contributor to the beat. CNO Beats Q4 Earnings Estimates on Higher Collected Premiums
• Neutral Sentiment: Company says it achieved/exceeded most 2025 guidance metrics — that supports medium-term credibility but investors will watch forward guidance and margin outlook for confirmation. CNO Financial Group Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 commentary and slide deck available — investors can review the earnings call transcript and slide materials for details on reserves, product mix and capital. CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Rising costs are a headwind — despite the beat, management flagged higher costs that pressured margins, so sustaining margin expansion will be key to future stock moves. CNO Beats Q4 Earnings Estimates on Higher Collected Premiums

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of CNO Financial Group from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of CNO Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $42.00 to $47.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of CNO Financial Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered CNO Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Gary C. Bhojwani sold 31,430 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.99, for a total value of $1,319,745.70. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 195,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,226,932.74. This trade represents a 13.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CMO Rocco F. Tarasi III sold 9,283 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.60, for a total transaction of $395,455.80. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 73,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,149,503.20. This represents a 11.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 89,378 shares of company stock worth $3,722,146. 3.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Legato Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of CNO Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $584,000. FourThought Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of CNO Financial Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $202,000. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in CNO Financial Group by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 21,419 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $910,000 after buying an additional 833 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in CNO Financial Group by 12.1% during the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 61,132 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,597,000 after buying an additional 6,590 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in CNO Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $450,000. Institutional investors own 95.43% of the company’s stock.

CNO Financial Group Stock Up 5.5%

The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $42.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $40.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.18 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.02 and a beta of 0.84.

CNO Financial Group Company Profile

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.