Aptus Capital Advisors LLC Purchases 3,141 Shares of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. $HIG

Key Points

• Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in The Hartford Insurance Group, purchasing an additional 3,141 shares during the first quarter, now holding a total of 8,021 shares valued at $992,000.
• The Hartford Insurance Group reported $3.41 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations by $0.58, with a revenue of $6.99 billion.
• The company declared a $0.52 quarterly dividend with a payout ratio of 18.86%, to be paid to investors of record on September 2nd.

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 64.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,021 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 3,141 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in The Hartford Insurance Group were worth $992,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Park Square Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in The Hartford Insurance Group by 146.2% during the first quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC now owns 261 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group during the first quarter worth about $33,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 123.8% during the 1st quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 291 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Insurance Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Insurance Group Price Performance

NYSE:HIG opened at $133.1370 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.43 billion, a PE ratio of 12.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.67. The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $104.93 and a 1-year high of $134.12. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $125.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $122.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.

The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 28th. The insurance provider reported $3.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.83 by $0.58. The Hartford Insurance Group had a net margin of 11.83% and a return on equity of 19.60%. The firm had revenue of $6.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.50 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 2nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The Hartford Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.86%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on HIG. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $152.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $140.00 price target (up previously from $135.00) on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen raised The Hartford Insurance Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Citigroup initiated coverage on The Hartford Insurance Group in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on The Hartford Insurance Group from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $137.64.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Hartford Insurance Group news, CFO Beth Ann Costello sold 35,340 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total value of $4,364,490.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 77,574 shares in the company, valued at $9,580,389. This represents a 31.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Insurance 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.

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