The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Acquired by Natixis

Natixis raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 155.8% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 115,938 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 70,608 shares during the period. Natixis’ holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $12,684,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of HIG. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. lifted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% during the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. DT Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% in the 4th quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Key Financial Inc boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 526.3% during the fourth quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 357 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $26,385,250. This trade represents a 0.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total value of $1,539,773.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 corporate insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $117.84 on Friday. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $94.47 and a 1-year high of $125.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.94 billion, a PE ratio of 11.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $117.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $115.34.

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

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

About The Hartford Financial Services Group

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.