BCS vs. CNA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 21, 2025

Here’s a clear look at BCS and CNA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

BCS trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, CNA is a standard domestic listing.

Symbol	BCS	CNA
Company Name	Barclays PLC	CNA Financial Corporation
Country	United Kingdom	United States
GICS Sector	Financials	Financials
GICS Industry	Banks	Insurance
Market Capitalization	71.96 billion USD	12.98 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	September 9, 1986	February 21, 1973
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of BCS and CNA by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

BCS vs. CNA: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	BCS	CNA
5-Day Price Return	2.49%	2.04%
13-Week Price Return	18.04%	-1.96%
26-Week Price Return	21.63%	-3.38%
52-Week Price Return	68.77%	-0.15%
Month-to-Date Return	0.73%	8.21%
Year-to-Date Return	39.47%	-0.83%
10-Day Avg. Volume	20.83M	0.54M
3-Month Avg. Volume	32.90M	0.46M
3-Month Volatility	22.39%	19.18%
Beta	1.76	0.52

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

BCS

12.12%

Banks Industry

Max: 26.37%
Q3: 15.92%
Median: 12.25%
Q1: 8.69%
Min: 0.15%

BCS’s Return on Equity of 12.12% is on par with the norm for the Banks industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

CNA

8.31%

Insurance Industry

Max: 29.03%
Q3: 18.11%
Median: 13.90%
Q1: 10.42%
Min: -0.64%

CNA’s Return on Equity of 8.31% is in the lower quartile for the Insurance industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

BCS

Banks Industry

Max: 54.20%
Q3: 35.70%
Median: 28.97%
Q1: 22.53%
Min: 6.98%

Net Profit Margin data for BCS is currently unavailable.

CNA

5.99%

Insurance Industry

Max: 26.78%
Q3: 14.06%
Median: 9.15%
Q1: 5.48%
Min: -7.05%

CNA’s Net Profit Margin of 5.99% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Insurance industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

BCS

Banks Industry

Max: 63.35%
Q3: 44.59%
Median: 37.24%
Q1: 28.25%
Min: 13.37%

Operating Profit Margin data for BCS is currently unavailable.

CNA

8.45%

Insurance Industry

Max: 35.49%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 14.35%
Q1: 8.53%
Min: -5.25%

In the Insurance industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	BCS	CNA
Return on Equity (TTM)	12.12%	8.31%
Return on Assets (TTM)	0.57%	1.30%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	--	5.99%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	--	8.45%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	--	--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

BCS

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

For the Banks industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

CNA

2.64

Insurance Industry

Max: 2.97
Q3: 1.33
Median: 0.55
Q1: 0.15
Min: 0.00

For the Insurance industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

BCS

3.86

Banks Industry

Max: 4.75
Q3: 2.62
Median: 1.02
Q1: 0.39
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Banks industry.

CNA

0.28

Insurance Industry

Max: 1.25
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.34
Q1: 0.22
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Insurance industry.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

BCS

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Banks industry.

CNA

10.11

Insurance Industry

Max: 43.68
Q3: 20.84
Median: 9.56
Q1: 3.34
Min: -5.73

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Insurance industry.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	BCS	CNA
Current Ratio (MRQ)	--	2.64
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	--	1.86
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	3.86	0.28
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	--	10.11

Growth

Revenue Growth

BCS vs. CNA: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

BCS vs. CNA: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

BCS

0.00%

Banks Industry

Max: 10.27%
Q3: 5.83%
Median: 3.81%
Q1: 2.50%
Min: 0.00%

BCS currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

CNA

8.03%

Insurance Industry

Max: 8.23%
Q3: 4.54%
Median: 3.42%
Q1: 1.97%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 8.03%, CNA offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Insurance industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

BCS

22.39%

Banks Industry

Max: 147.07%
Q3: 80.55%
Median: 54.40%
Q1: 35.71%
Min: 0.00%

BCS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.39% is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.

CNA

118.24%

Insurance Industry

Max: 168.02%
Q3: 85.57%
Median: 50.71%
Q1: 22.04%
Min: 0.00%

CNA’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 118.24% is in the upper quartile for the Insurance industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	BCS	CNA
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	8.03%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	22.39%	118.24%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

BCS

5.96

Banks Industry

Max: 20.05
Q3: 12.65
Median: 10.21
Q1: 7.54
Min: 2.74

In the lower quartile for the Banks industry, BCS’s P/E Ratio of 5.96 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

CNA

14.73

Insurance Industry

Max: 28.91
Q3: 17.76
Median: 13.63
Q1: 10.02
Min: 2.89

CNA’s P/E Ratio of 14.73 is within the middle range for the Insurance industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

BCS

Banks Industry

Max: 5.06
Q3: 2.98
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.59
Min: 0.45

The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Banks industry.

CNA

0.88

Insurance Industry

Max: 3.72
Q3: 1.98
Median: 1.23
Q1: 0.81
Min: 0.23

CNA’s P/S Ratio of 0.88 aligns with the market consensus for the Insurance industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

BCS

0.63

Banks Industry

Max: 2.18
Q3: 1.36
Median: 1.09
Q1: 0.81
Min: 0.20

BCS’s P/B Ratio of 0.63 is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.

CNA

1.18

Insurance Industry

Max: 4.37
Q3: 2.48
Median: 1.68
Q1: 1.19
Min: 0.19

CNA’s P/B Ratio of 1.18 is in the lower quartile for the Insurance industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.

BCS vs. CNA: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Banks and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	BCS	CNA
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	5.96	14.73
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	--	0.88
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	0.63	1.18
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	2.59	5.06