111 Capital Invests $1.26 Million in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

111 Capital acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 11,549 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,263,000.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in HIG. Barrett & Company Inc. lifted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% during the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% during the fourth quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

NYSE:HIG traded down $0.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $130.01. 4,803,044 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,582,768. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a one year low of $98.16 and a one year high of $132.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.32. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $122.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $117.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.94 billion, a PE ratio of 12.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $6.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.97 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 11.72% and a return on equity of 19.55%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.34 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.60%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.74%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,086 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.42, for a total value of $129,690.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 622 shares in the company, valued at approximately $74,279.24. The trade was a 63.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total transaction of $11,805,563.79. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at $25,412,161.98. This represents a 31.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 113,429 shares of company stock worth $13,618,028. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on HIG. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $129.71.

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.