The Hartford Financial Services Group - HIG Stock Forecast, Price & News

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers workers' compensation, property, automobile, liability, umbrella, bond, marine, livestock, and reinsurance; and customized insurance products and risk management services, including professional liability, bond, surety, and specialty casualty coverages through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers. The company's Personal Lines segment provides automobile, homeowners, and personal umbrella coverages through direct-to-consumer channel and independent agents. Its Property & Casualty Other Operations segment offers coverage for asbestos and environmental exposures. The company's Group Benefits segment provides group life, disability, and other group coverages to members of employer groups, associations, and affinity groups through direct insurance policies; reinsurance to other insurance companies; employer paid and voluntary product coverages; disability underwriting, administration, and claims processing to self-funded employer plans; and a single-company leave management solution. This segment distributes its group insurance products and services through brokers, consultants, third-party administrators, trade associations, and private exchanges. Its Hartford Funds segment offers investment products for retail and retirement accounts; exchange-traded products through broker-dealer organizations, independent financial advisers, defined contribution plans, financial consultants, bank trust groups, and registered investment advisers; and investment management and administrative services, such as product design, implementation, and oversight. The company was founded in 1810 and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 1.9 %

NYSE:HIG opened at $68.96 on Friday. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a fifty-two week low of $61.59 and a fifty-two week high of $78.17. The stock has a market cap of $22.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $65.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 0.30.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 28th. The insurance provider reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.63. The company had revenue of $3.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.53 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 15.03% and a net margin of 9.42%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.33 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group will post 7.19 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 1st will be issued a $0.385 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 31st. This represents a $1.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.33%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group to $78.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Raymond James upped their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $80.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $77.00 to $72.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 12th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $77.00 to $71.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 1st. Finally, Credit Suisse Group lifted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $93.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, June 3rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $80.27.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, SVP Scott R. Lewis sold 2,558 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.04, for a total transaction of $166,372.32. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 18,396 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,196,475.84. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.80% of the company's stock.