The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the eighteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $122.00.

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 17th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total value of $803,479.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 25,820 shares in the company, valued at $3,021,972.80. This trade represents a 21.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hartford Financial Services Group

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $213,000. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 27.6% in the 2nd quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 221,896 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $22,309,000 after buying an additional 48,004 shares during the last quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd lifted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd now owns 137,506 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $16,172,000 after acquiring an additional 4,449 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7.1% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 111,134 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $13,063,000 after acquiring an additional 7,350 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lecap Asset Management Ltd. bought a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $633,000. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of HIG opened at $113.02 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The business’s fifty day moving average is $117.73 and its 200 day moving average is $111.06. The stock has a market cap of $32.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.34, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.95. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a 12-month low of $78.33 and a 12-month high of $124.90.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be paid a $0.52 dividend. This is a positive change from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.84%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.84%.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Company Profile

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.