The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• The Hartford Insurance Group has been rated with a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by 16 analysts, with an average 1-year target price of $137.93.
• In its latest earnings report, the company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $3.41, exceeding the consensus estimate by $0.58, and experienced a 7.7% year-over-year revenue increase.
• The Hartford also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.52, representing an annualized yield of 1.6% with a dividend payout ratio of 18.86%.

The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the sixteen analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $137.9333.

HIG has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $135.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $145.00 to $142.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th.

The Hartford Insurance Group Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of HIG opened at $132.94 on Friday. The Hartford Insurance Group has a 12 month low of $104.93 and a 12 month high of $135.17. The firm's 50 day moving average is $130.45 and its 200-day moving average is $125.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.38 billion, a PE ratio of 12.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.

The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, July 28th. The insurance provider reported $3.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.83 by $0.58. The Hartford Insurance Group had a net margin of 11.83% and a return on equity of 19.60%. The company had revenue of $6.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.02 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.50 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that The Hartford Insurance Group will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

The Hartford Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 2nd were paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 2nd. The Hartford Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.86%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hartford Insurance Group news, CFO Beth Ann Costello sold 35,340 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total value of $4,364,490.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 77,574 shares in the company, valued at $9,580,389. This trade represents a 31.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Donald Christian Hunt sold 2,124 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.87, for a total transaction of $284,339.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of The Hartford Insurance Group

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group during the second quarter worth $506,329,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 51.5% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,268,166 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $414,632,000 after purchasing an additional 1,111,659 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 28,218.5% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 757,804 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $93,763,000 after purchasing an additional 755,128 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group during the first quarter worth $87,516,000. Finally, Bahl & Gaynor Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 47.0% during the first quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 2,141,537 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $264,972,000 after purchasing an additional 684,390 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

About The Hartford Insurance 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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