Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV Sells 25,426 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV decreased its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 11.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 192,213 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 25,426 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV owned about 0.07% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $21,028,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% in the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% during the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC grew 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 purchasing an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,086 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.42, for a total transaction of $129,690.12. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 622 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $74,279.24. The trade was a 63.58 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 value of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. This trade represents a 29.32 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 113,429 shares of company stock worth $13,618,028 in the last ninety days. 1.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:HIG traded up $1.03 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $126.74. 1,391,243 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,571,035. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $98.16 and a 1-year high of $126.97. The firm has a market cap of $36.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $118.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $115.54. 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 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 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $6.81 billion during 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 Hartford Financial Services Group's revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.34 EPS. Research analysts anticipate 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 firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's payout ratio is presently 20.74%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HIG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Barclays upped their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Raymond James lifted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of 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. Seven investment 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $126.87.

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.