Pacer Advisors Inc. Acquires 13,423 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 29.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 58,293 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 13,423 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $6,856,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. CreativeOne Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 1st quarter worth about $278,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 94.4% during the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 195,017 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $20,097,000 after purchasing an additional 94,717 shares during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $56,000. SVB Wealth LLC lifted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.1% in the first quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 9,774 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,007,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dynasty Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the first quarter worth $643,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on HIG shares. UBS Group upped their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $130.00 price objective for the company. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $120.88.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of HIG opened at $120.72 on Friday. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.65 and a 12-month high of $123.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market cap of $35.00 billion, a PE ratio of 12.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.94. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $116.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $109.39.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This is an increase from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is currently 18.84%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total transaction of $803,479.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 25,820 shares in the company, valued at $3,021,972.80. This trade represents a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.