LSV Asset Management Has $452.01 Million Stock Position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

LSV Asset Management lessened its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 6.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 4,131,683 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 274,640 shares during the period. The Hartford Financial Services Group makes up about 1.0% of LSV Asset Management’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest holding. LSV Asset Management’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $452,006,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HIG. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% during the fourth quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Key Financial Inc increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 526.3% in the fourth quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 357 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total value of $143,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,385,250. The trade was a 0.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total value of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at $3,712,661.60. The trade was a 29.32 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 112,343 shares of company stock worth $13,488,337. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $116.54 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 business’s 50 day moving average is $116.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $115.35. The company has a market cap of $33.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.47 and a 12 month high of $125.08.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. On average, equities 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.78%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on HIG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 31st. Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Barclays upgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.29.

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.