Vise Technologies Inc. Increases Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Vise Technologies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 101.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,601 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 4,845 shares during the quarter. Vise Technologies Inc.'s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $1,050,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,079 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $337,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Barrett & Company Inc. raised 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 worth $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 4,468 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $489,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Smithfield Trust Co boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 26.7% during the 4th quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 475 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,164 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $237,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.42% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total value of $143,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,385,250. This trade represents a 0.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,086 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.42, for a total transaction of $129,690.12. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 622 shares in the company, valued at $74,279.24. This represents a 63.58% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 113,429 shares of company stock valued at $13,618,028 in the last ninety days. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

NYSE HIG traded up $0.93 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $130.15. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,288,070 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,688,068. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $98.16 and a 12 month high of $132.09. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $122.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $117.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $36.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $6.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.34 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.60%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.74%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler raised their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $125.00 target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Raymond James boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on 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. Seven investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $129.71.

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.