Stratos Investment Management LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Stratos Investment Management LLC lowered its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 12.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 4,324 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 593 shares during the quarter. Stratos Investment Management LLC’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $473,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. DT Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth about $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 4th 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 last quarter. Clean Yield Group bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. 93.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on HIG shares. StockNews.com upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Barclays raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $130.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Nine equities 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. According to MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.94.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

HIG stock opened at $113.54 on Thursday. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $89.04 and a 1 year high of $124.90. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average price is $112.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $113.68. The firm has a market cap of $32.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.97, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.97.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 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%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.