Vontobel Holding Ltd. Has $1.86 Million Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Vontobel Holding Ltd. trimmed its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 7.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,138 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 1,798 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $1,860,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HIG. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth $277,618,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth $215,742,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 26.7% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,142,167 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $364,631,000 after purchasing an additional 1,083,420 shares in the last quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 324.6% in the 1st quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 938,693 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $65,418,000 after purchasing an additional 717,613 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 722.9% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 757,100 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $54,367,000 after purchasing an additional 665,100 shares in the last quarter. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $98.95 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $97.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $85.25. The company has a market cap of $29.42 billion, a PE ratio of 12.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.89. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $67.05 and a twelve month high of $103.64.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 2nd. The insurance provider reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.44 by $0.62. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.82% and a net margin of 10.21%. The company had revenue of $6.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.31 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 10.13 EPS for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 1st. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 23.53%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 956 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.00, for a total transaction of $82,216.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 170,180 shares in the company, valued at $14,635,480. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 956 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.00, for a total value of $82,216.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 170,180 shares in the company, valued at $14,635,480. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,332 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.74, for a total transaction of $119,533.68. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 630 shares in the company, valued at $56,536.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 202,264 shares of company stock valued at $18,438,369. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on HIG. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $94.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 15th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $96.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. Roth Mkm increased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group to $144.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $91.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, April 8th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $105.56.

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.