The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Receives $122.94 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $122.94.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada restated 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, February 3rd. StockNews.com raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted 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. Finally, Barclays upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hartford Financial Services Group

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HIG. DT Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised 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 buying an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. boosted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% in 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. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, BNP Paribas bought a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of HIG opened at $113.79 on Thursday. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group has a twelve month low of $94.32 and a twelve month high of $124.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a 50 day moving average of $111.01 and a 200-day moving average of $114.27.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.83%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is presently 20.10%.

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.