The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Sold by D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc.

D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. lessened its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 73.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,675 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 71,492 shares during the period. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc.'s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $2,809,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Horizon Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $277,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position 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 period. Suncoast Equity Management acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $311,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 62.1% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 28,622 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $3,131,000 after purchasing an additional 10,964 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp increased its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 13.9% during the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 46,868 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $5,127,000 after purchasing an additional 5,702 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

HIG stock opened at $131.66 on Tuesday. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $98.16 and a 1 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 stock's 50 day moving average price is $120.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $116.47. The firm has a market cap of $37.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.72, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70.

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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.05. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. The firm had revenue of $6.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.34 EPS. The Hartford Financial Services Group's revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.58%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.74%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on 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. StockNews.com upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Seven 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $129.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total transaction of $1,539,773.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,712,661.60. This represents a 29.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total value of $11,805,563.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at $25,412,161.98. This trade represents a 31.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 in the last quarter. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.

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