Stevens Capital Management LP Reduces Stock Position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Stevens Capital Management LP reduced its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 73.2% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,633 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 7,190 shares during the quarter. Stevens Capital Management LP’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $212,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. GoalVest Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 464.8% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 305 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. CVA Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Selway Asset Management purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,332 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.74, for a total transaction of $119,533.68. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 630 shares in the company, valued at $56,536.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,332 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.74, for a total transaction of $119,533.68. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 630 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $56,536.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David C. Robinson sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.64, for a total value of $1,344,600.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 8,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $735,137.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 106,501 shares of company stock worth $10,141,126. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Down 3.8 %

The Hartford Financial Services Group stock traded down $3.79 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $95.30. The stock had a trading volume of 2,889,576 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,813,499. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.89. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $67.05 and a 12-month high of $103.64. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $98.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $86.07.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The insurance provider reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.43 by ($0.09). The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 10.21% and a return on equity of 19.82%. The company had revenue of $6.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.51 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.68 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 10.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th were given a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 1st. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.97%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.53%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $110.00 to $109.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $77.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $91.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $96.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. Finally, Raymond James restated an “outperform” rating and set a $120.00 price objective (up previously from $100.00) on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, April 1st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $105.81.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Profile

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, accident, health, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers.