JT Stratford LLC Buys Shares of 13,917 The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

JT Stratford LLC acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 13,917 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,523,000.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of HIG. Barrett & Company Inc. increased 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. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% in the fourth quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 1.1%

HIG traded up $1.48 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $130.40. 702,270 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,683,202. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.05 billion, a PE ratio of 12.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70. 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 current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $122.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $116.99.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $2.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $6.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.34 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast 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 company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.60%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.74%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $129.71.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total value of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at $3,712,661.60. This represents a 29.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total transaction of $11,805,563.79. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $25,412,161.98. This represents a 31.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 113,429 shares of company stock worth $13,618,028 over the last quarter. Insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

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.