Gotham Asset Management LLC Has $15.95 Million Position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Gotham Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 31.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 145,804 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 35,138 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC owned 0.05% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $15,951,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its stake in 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 during the period. Barrett & Company Inc. grew 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 purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% during the 4th quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total value of $11,805,563.79. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,412,161.98. This trade represents a 31.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total transaction of $1,539,773.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,712,661.60. This represents a 29.32 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 113,429 shares of company stock valued at $13,618,028. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

The Hartford Financial Services Group stock opened at $127.50 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $36.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.32, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $119.54 and its 200-day moving average is $115.77. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $98.16 and a 12 month high of $129.55.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $2.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.05. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. The company had revenue of $6.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.34 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities 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 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 dividend yield of 1.63%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is presently 20.74%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on HIG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. StockNews.com raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $126.87.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Company 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.