Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Purchases 9,040 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 24.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 45,793 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 9,040 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $5,010,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 71.4% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 351,026 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $38,402,000 after purchasing an additional 146,255 shares in the last quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 3,429 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $375,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Lifeworks Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 20.4% during the 4th quarter. Lifeworks Advisors LLC now owns 2,910 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $318,000 after purchasing an additional 493 shares during the last quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB now owns 198,195 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $21,705,000 after buying an additional 12,414 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Machina Capital S.A.S. bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $220,000. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $115.82 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $112.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $114.84. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.47 and a 12 month high of $124.90. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $33.05 billion, a PE ratio of 11.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.91.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Equities analysts expect that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.80%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HIG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $125.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.94.

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.