The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) Announces Earnings Results

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The insurance provider reported $2.94 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.26, Zacks reports. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 20.35% and a net margin of 11.62%.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE HIG traded up $0.69 during trading on Thursday, reaching $114.19. 1,491,873 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,525,045. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a fifty-two week low of $85.34 and a fifty-two week high of $124.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market cap of $33.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.98. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $113.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $113.35.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total value of $803,479.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,820 shares in the company, valued at $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on HIG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. StockNews.com raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Bank of America upped their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $121.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Barclays upgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.28.

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.