The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Sold by Steph & Co.

Steph & Co. trimmed its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 6.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,582 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 184 shares during the period. Steph & Co.’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $282,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. DT Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. lifted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% in the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2,750.0% during the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 285 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Clean Yield Group acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, BNP Paribas acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HIG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group raised their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.28.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 1.7 %

NYSE HIG opened at $111.27 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.15, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $114.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $112.49. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $81.87 and a 12 month high of $124.90.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.87%. This is an increase from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.84%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total transaction of $803,479.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. This represents a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Company 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.