Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich Decreases Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich trimmed its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 20.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,907 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 733 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $351,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% in the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% during the fourth quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, Key Financial Inc raised its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 526.3% in the 4th quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 357 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HIG has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Barclays upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on 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. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.94.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:HIG opened at $117.34 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.49 billion, a PE ratio of 11.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.32. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $94.47 and a 52-week high of $124.90. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $112.63 and a 200 day moving average of $114.80.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.26. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.77%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is currently 20.10%.

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.