3 Reasons to Sell CNO and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Since February 2025, CNO Financial Group has been in a holding pattern, posting a small loss of 1.5% while floating around $39.62. The stock also fell short of the S&P 500’s 8.6% gain during that period.

Is now the time to buy CNO Financial Group, or should you be careful about including it in your portfolio? Get the full breakdown from our expert analysts, it’s free.

Why Is CNO Financial Group Not Exciting?

We're swiping left on CNO Financial Group for now. Here are three reasons there are better opportunities than CNO and a stock we'd rather own.

1. Net Premiums Earned Hit a Plateau

Insurers sell policies then use reinsurance (insurance for insurance companies) to protect themselves from large losses. Net premiums earned are therefore what's collected from selling policies less what’s paid to reinsurers as a risk mitigation tool.

CNO Financial Group’s net premiums earned was flat over the last five years, much worse than the broader insurance industry and in line with its total revenue.

3. Growing BVPS Reflects Strong Asset Base

We consider book value per share (BVPS) a critical metric for insurance companies. BVPS represents the total net worth per share, providing insight into a company’s financial strength and ability to meet policyholder obligations.

Although CNO Financial Group’s BVPS declined at a 4.9% annual clip over the last five years. the good news is that its growth inflected positive over the past two years as BVPS grew at an excellent 21.5% annual clip (from $17.56 to $25.92 per share).

Final Judgment

CNO Financial Group isn’t a terrible business, but it doesn’t pass our bar. With its shares underperforming the market lately, the stock trades at 1.5× forward P/B (or $39.62 per share). While this valuation is reasonable, we don’t really see a big opportunity at the moment. We're pretty confident there are more exciting stocks to buy at the moment. Let us point you toward our favorite semiconductor picks and shovels play.

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