The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Sold by DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main

DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main lowered its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 15.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 144,588 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 26,074 shares during the period. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main's holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $15,818,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 1.9% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 353,873 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $41,619,000 after buying an additional 6,605 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 182.1% during the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 10,463 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,145,000 after acquiring an additional 6,754 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 74,650 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $8,780,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 6,576 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $719,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Czech National Bank increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 62,855 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $6,876,000 after purchasing an additional 3,165 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total value of $11,805,563.79. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $25,412,161.98. This represents a 31.72 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total transaction 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 $3,712,661.60. This trade represents a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 113,429 shares of company stock valued at $13,618,028 over the last 90 days. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HIG opened at $128.27 on Friday. The firm's 50 day moving average is $119.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $115.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.39, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70. 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 52 week low of $98.16 and a 52 week high of $129.55.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.05. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. The firm had revenue of $6.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.97 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.34 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.74%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on HIG shares. Raymond James lifted 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 note on Monday, March 31st. 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 report on Tuesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Seven investment 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.

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