USS Investment Management Ltd Sells 5,768 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

USS Investment Management Ltd lessened its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 8.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 58,717 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 5,768 shares during the quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd's holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $6,425,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of HIG. Horizon Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth about $277,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,701,675 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $514,363,000 after purchasing an additional 202,487 shares during the last quarter. Suncoast Equity Management bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth $311,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 62.1% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 28,622 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $3,131,000 after buying an additional 10,964 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 13.9% in the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 46,868 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $5,127,000 after buying an additional 5,702 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of HIG stock traded up $1.98 on Tuesday, reaching $130.90. The company had a trading volume of 1,040,520 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,686,617. The stock has a market cap of $37.19 billion, a PE ratio of 12.64, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a 50-day moving average of $122.03 and a 200-day moving average of $116.99. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $98.16 and a 12 month high of $132.09.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $6.81 billion during 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 quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.34 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd will be given a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.74%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,086 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The stock was 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 represents a 63.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at $3,712,661.60. This trade represents a 29.32% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 113,429 shares of company stock valued at $13,618,028. 1.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in 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 report on Tuesday, May 20th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $125.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.