The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Bought by Deutsche Bank AG

Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 16.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,121,087 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 159,028 shares during the quarter. Deutsche Bank AG owned approximately 0.39% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $122,647,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 7,251,389 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $792,796,000 after buying an additional 81,495 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,701,675 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $514,363,000 after purchasing an additional 202,487 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth about $416,340,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 17.2% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,537,665 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $387,021,000 after purchasing an additional 519,717 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,448,982 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $377,319,000 after purchasing an additional 25,053 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

HIG traded down $1.49 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $126.44. 1,727,548 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,578,644. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $119.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $115.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $98.16 and a 1-year high of $129.75.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $6.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.97 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.34 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict 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 firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.65%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.74%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total transaction of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. The trade was a 29.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,086 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.42, for a total transaction of $129,690.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 622 shares of the company's stock, valued at $74,279.24. This represents a 63.58% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 113,429 shares of company stock valued at $13,618,028 over the last quarter. 1.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on HIG. StockNews.com downgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday. Barclays lifted their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $126.87.

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.