The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) Given New $142.00 Price Target at UBS Group

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) had its target price raised by stock analysts at UBS Group from $139.00 to $142.00 in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the insurance provider's stock. UBS Group's target price points to a potential upside of 17.79% from the stock's current price.

HIG has been the subject of several other reports. Raymond James lifted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective 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. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $126.87.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

HIG traded up $1.79 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $120.55. 1,581,045 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,569,763. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $117.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $115.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a one year low of $95.00 and a one year high of $125.08.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $6.81 billion for 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 company's quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.34 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total transaction of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total transaction of $11,805,563.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at $25,412,161.98. This trade represents a 31.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 112,343 shares of company stock valued at $13,488,337. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% in the 4th 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. Center for Financial Planning Inc. bought a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Barrett & Company Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC bought a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% 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.

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