Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH Boosts Stock Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 91.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 13,518 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 6,440 shares during the period. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH's holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $1,479,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Horizon Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $277,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,701,675 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $514,363,000 after acquiring an additional 202,487 shares during the period. Suncoast Equity Management bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter valued at 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 valued at $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 valued at $5,127,000 after purchasing an additional 5,702 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HIG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased 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. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays raised 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 note on Friday, April 25th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $129.71.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Down 0.5%

The Hartford Financial Services Group stock traded down $0.63 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $128.99. The stock had a trading volume of 353,424 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,686,079. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $98.16 and a fifty-two week high of $132.09. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $121.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $116.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.65 billion, a PE ratio of 12.46, 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, beating 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 business had revenue of $6.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.34 EPS. The Hartford Financial Services Group's quarterly revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd will be issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.61%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.74%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total value of $143,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares of the company's stock, valued at $26,385,250. This represents a 0.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,086 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the senior vice president now owns 622 shares of the company's stock, valued at $74,279.24. This trade represents a 63.58% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 113,429 shares of company stock worth $13,618,028. Insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

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.