Verdence Capital Advisors LLC Sells 2,387 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC lowered its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 14.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 14,558 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 2,387 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $1,593,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,079 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $337,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% in the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 2,444 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $287,000 after buying an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 4,468 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $489,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 11,499 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,258,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:HIG opened at $117.82 on Thursday. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $94.47 and a 52-week high of $124.90. The company has a market capitalization of $33.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $112.19 and a 200 day simple moving average of $114.65. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.77%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price 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. Piper Sandler increased their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Barclays upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $130.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com cut The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.94.

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.