The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Stock Position Lessened by Treasurer of the State of North Carolina

Treasurer of the State of North Carolina reduced its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 0.2% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 143,837 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 308 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $15,736,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% during 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. raised 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 purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% in the fourth quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Key Financial Inc increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 526.3% during the 4th quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 357 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total transaction of $143,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,385,250. This trade represents a 0.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through 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 transaction of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 112,343 shares of company stock worth $13,488,337. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $116.05 on Friday. 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 one year low of $94.47 and a one year high of $125.08. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $116.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $115.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.12 billion, a PE ratio of 11.21, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, analysts predict 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 business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.10%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on HIG shares. Barclays upped their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $124.13.

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.