LSV Asset Management Boosts Stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

LSV Asset Management raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 3.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,821,885 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 165,190 shares during the period. The Hartford Financial Services Group makes up 0.8% of LSV Asset Management’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. LSV Asset Management’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $387,583,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. GoalVest Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 464.8% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 305 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. CVA Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Selway Asset Management purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE HIG traded up $0.41 during trading on Friday, hitting $97.90. The company had a trading volume of 1,358,945 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,787,088. The company’s fifty day moving average is $98.81 and its 200-day moving average is $87.14. The company has a market cap of $28.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a one year low of $67.05 and a one year high of $103.64.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The insurance provider reported $2.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $6.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.51 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 20.64% and a net margin of 10.87%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.68 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 10.01 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is presently 21.36%.

Insider Activity at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 14,528 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.97, for a total value of $1,365,196.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 46,792 shares in the company, valued at $4,397,044.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,332 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.74, for a total transaction of $119,533.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 630 shares in the company, valued at $56,536.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 14,528 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.97, for a total value of $1,365,196.16. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 46,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,397,044.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 106,501 shares of company stock worth $10,141,126 over the last ninety days. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Roth Mkm boosted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $110.00 to $109.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 26th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group to $144.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $92.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Finally, Raymond James restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $120.00 target price (up previously from $100.00) on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, April 1st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $105.44.

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.