The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Sold by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lessened its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 0.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 527,814 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 5,061 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $57,729,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7.1% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 111,134 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $13,063,000 after purchasing an additional 7,350 shares during the last quarter. Horizon Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $277,000. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth about $19,005,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 437.9% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 871,318 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $95,322,000 after acquiring an additional 709,324 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,701,675 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $514,363,000 after acquiring an additional 202,487 shares during the period. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. The trade was a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total transaction of $11,805,563.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at $25,412,161.98. The trade was a 31.72 % 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 90 days. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Down 8.0 %

HIG stock opened at $113.56 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $32.41 billion, a PE ratio of 10.97, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $94.47 and a 1 year high of $125.08. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $116.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $115.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share 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%. Sell-side 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 business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.83%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is currently 20.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Raymond James lifted their price target 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. Barclays raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.47.

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.