Two Sigma Investments LP Raises Stock Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Two Sigma Investments LP raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 454.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 72,939 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 59,783 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP's holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $7,980,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of HIG. Barrett & Company Inc. raised its stake in shares of 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 worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Key Financial Inc grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 526.3% in the 4th quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 357 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

HIG traded down $0.41 on Friday, reaching $129.85. The company had a trading volume of 331,503 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,567,089. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $98.16 and a 52-week high of $132.09. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $122.64 and a 200 day simple moving average of $117.26. The company has a market cap of $36.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 11.72% and a return on equity of 19.55%. The business had revenue of $6.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.34 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

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 dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.60%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.74%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HIG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on 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. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target 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. Seven 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $129.71.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,086 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 622 shares in the company, valued at $74,279.24. This trade represents a 63.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 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 value of $11,805,563.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares of the company's stock, 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 have sold 113,429 shares of company stock worth $13,618,028. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by 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.