Curat Global LLC Invests $49,000 in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Curat Global LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 400 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $49,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $416,340,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 14,049.5% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,424,009 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,761,930,000 after purchasing an additional 1,413,945 shares in the last quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 265.5% during the fourth quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 1,213,074 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $132,710,000 after purchasing an additional 881,224 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 48.1% during the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,264,397 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $247,761,000 after purchasing an additional 735,170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 11,904.7% during the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 631,565 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $632,000 after purchasing an additional 626,304 shares in the last quarter. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HIG opened at $129.39 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $123.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $117.75. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $98.16 and a 12-month high of $132.09. The company has a market cap of $36.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.71.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $2.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.05. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 11.72% and a return on equity of 19.55%. The company had revenue of $6.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.34 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.61%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.74%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at $3,712,661.60. The trade was a 29.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,412,161.98. This represents a 31.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 113,429 shares of company stock valued at $13,618,028 in the last three months. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on HIG. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Raymond James boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $129.71.

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.