CNO · NYSE · STOCK
CNO Financial Group (CNO) Stock Analysis
$54.35
52W $38.22 – $57.59
56/100
$5.15B
18.6
0.81
⚠
Buy rating, but near-term risk/reward is unfavorable
The long-term recommendation is based on the composite investment score. The near-term risk/reward is based on nearby support and resistance levels. These can differ when a strong company trades close to resistance with support further below.
Is CNO Bullish or Bearish?
Bullish.
Innellis AI committee rates CNO Financial Group (CNO) Buy with a composite score of 56/100
, based on 6 analysts with 67% agreement.
Last updated September 22, 2026.
What Would Change This View
- Upgrade to Strong Buy
- Requires a committee score of 75.0 — +19.20 from today. Applies on the first day at or above the line; upgrades are never dampened.
- Downgrade to Watch
- Requires the score to fall below 55.0 — -0.80 from today. The band boundary is 60.0, but a one-step downgrade must clear a further margin first. A score oscillating around the line should not change the rating every night.
Executive Summary
The primary driver is 5 consecutive earnings beats -- consistent execution. The main limiting factor is high leverage (debt-to-equity 1.54) amplifies downside in a stress scenario. The committee is constructive but not yet at full conviction.
Bull & Bear Case
Bull Case
- 5 consecutive earnings beats -- consistent execution — Growth
- Quarter-over-quarter growth rate is ACCELERATING, not just positive — Growth
- Price structure making higher highs and higher lows — Technical
- Trend and market structure agree -- coherent bullish picture — Technical
- Weekly trend (uptrend) confirms the daily trend -- multi-timeframe agreement — Technical
Bear Case
- Debt-to-equity of 1.54 adds balance-sheet risk to the value case — Value
- MACD histogram negative -- bearish momentum — Technical
- High leverage (debt-to-equity 1.54) amplifies downside in a stress scenario — Risk
Both cases are generated from quantitative data signals, not qualitative or
forward-looking judgement. They summarise what the numbers say today.
Price History (6M)
AI Investment Committee
Committee Consensus
As of September 22, 2026
Overall Committee Score
56/100
Agreement
67%
Analysts
6
Conviction
Moderate
Sector Rank
Top 71%
of 211 Financial Services peers
Value Analyst
neutral
50
/ 100 · Moderate confidence
Fair value -- neither a bargain nor obviously overpriced
− Debt-to-equity of 1.54 adds balance-sheet risk to the value case
Growth Analyst
bullish
68
/ 100 · High confidence
Strong, accelerating growth with consistent execution
+ 5 consecutive earnings beats -- consistent execution
Technical Analyst
bullish
61
/ 100 · High confidence
Price action is constructive -- trend and momentum agree
+ Price structure making higher highs and higher lows
− MACD histogram negative -- bearish momentum
Risk Analyst
bearish
30
/ 100 · Low confidence
Elevated risk from leverage, volatility, event exposure, or portfolio concentration -- size accordingly
− High leverage (debt-to-equity 1.54) amplifies downside in a stress scenario
Macro Analyst
bullish
65
/ 100 · Low confidence
Macro backdrop is supportive of risk assets generally, and this name's beta works in its favor
News Analyst
bullish
60
/ 100 · Low confidence
News flow and recent filings/analyst actions are net positive
Portfolio Manager
neutral
45
/ 100 · High confidence
Portfolio-level factors are mixed -- worth a deliberate sizing decision, not a default-size position
+ Portfolio position concentration is currently healthy
− Sector concentration is already high (HHI 2517.06)
Investment Thesis Evolution
Committee score moved marginally from 55.8 to 55.8.
Comparing 2026-09-21 to 2026-09-22 (1 day apart).
Technical Analysis
RSI (14)
48.6
Neutral
MACD Histogram
-0.058
Bearish Momentum
Trend Direction
Uptrend
Weekly: Uptrend
Market Structure
Hh Hl
Support
$40.26
Resistance
$56.63
Bollinger %B
0.53
Inside Bands
Price vs Moving Averages
EMA 9
$55.38
Below
EMA 21
$55.13
Below
EMA 50
$54.02
Above
EMA 200
$48.10
Above
Fundamental Analysis
Valuation
69
Growth
95
Profitability
34
Financial Health
19
Cash Flow
70
Valuation
P/E Ratio
18.6×
P/B Ratio
1.99×
PEG Ratio
2.44
Dividend Yield
1.27%
52W High
$57.59
52W Low
$38.22
Quality & Growth
ROE
869.1%
ROA
59.1%
Gross Margin
4342.3%
Operating Margin
765.5%
Revenue Growth YoY
—
Debt / Equity
1.76
AI Fundamental Assessment
P/E ratio of 18.6 (inexpensive relative to a 15-40x range); Price-to-book of 2.0x; PEG ratio of 2.4 (under 1.0 suggests growth is undervalued relative to price); Return on equity of 8.7%; Return on assets of 0.6%; Net margin of 6.0%; Gross margin of 43.4%; Current ratio of 0.07 (tight short-term liquidity); Debt-to-equity of 1.76; Free cash flow per share is positive (7.50); Most recent quarter beat estimates by 30.4%; 5 consecutive earnings beats; EPS growth accelerating (-28.6% -> +20.0% QoQ); Average YoY EPS growth of 44.8%; Analyst estimates rising over recent quarters
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