The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Bought by BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S grew its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 16.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 256,972 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 36,812 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S owned 0.09% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $28,113,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% during the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. grew its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% during 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. DT Investment Partners LLC increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% during the 4th quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Key Financial Inc lifted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 526.3% in the fourth quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 357 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

NYSE HIG opened at $117.84 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $117.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $115.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market cap of $33.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $94.47 and a 52-week high of $125.08.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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%. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.77%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is 20.10%.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total transaction of $143,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,385,250. This represents a 0.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total transaction of $1,539,773.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at $3,712,661.60. The trade was a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 112,343 shares of company stock worth $13,488,337 over the last ninety days. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on HIG shares. StockNews.com raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Raymond James raised their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 31st. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.13.

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.