The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Stock Holdings Reduced by PDS Planning Inc

PDS Planning Inc lowered its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 6.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,809 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 195 shares during the quarter. PDS Planning Inc’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $307,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,079 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $337,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% in the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.0% in the third quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 2,444 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $287,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 4,468 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $489,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 11,499 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,258,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

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 that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total value of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. This represents a 29.32 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Down 1.4 %

The Hartford Financial Services Group stock opened at $118.81 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $113.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $114.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a market cap of $33.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.91. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.47 and a 12 month high of $124.90.

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, beating the consensus estimate 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%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.75%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on HIG shares. Piper Sandler upped their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets upped 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 note on Wednesday, November 27th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.