The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Position Boosted by Zions Bancorporation N.A.

Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 52.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,880 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 5,098 shares during the quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A.’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $1,628,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Congress Wealth Management LLC DE acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $263,000. Stevens Capital Management LP increased its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 147.1% during the fourth quarter. Stevens Capital Management LP now owns 4,621 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $506,000 after purchasing an additional 2,751 shares during the last quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth $221,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth about $29,162,000. Finally, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 66,127 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $7,234,000 after buying an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HIG opened at $121.46 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $34.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.74, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.47 and a 12 month high of $124.90. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $114.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $115.12.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 EPS 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.71%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.10%.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. This represents a 29.32 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group 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 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. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on HIG shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Barclays upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.94.

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.