Head to Head Review: The Hartford Insurance Group (HIG) and The Competition

The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG) is one of 311 publicly-traded companies in the “Insurance” industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare The Hartford Insurance Group to related companies based on the strength of its risk, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability and dividends.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares The Hartford Insurance Group and its peers top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Net Income	Price/Earnings Ratio
The Hartford Insurance Group	$29.08 billion	$3.84 billion	8.30
The Hartford Insurance Group Competitors	$15.48 billion	$1.70 billion	34.37

The Hartford Insurance Group has higher revenue and earnings than its peers. The Hartford Insurance Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Dividends

The Hartford Insurance Group pays an annual dividend of $2.68 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.0%. The Hartford Insurance Group pays out 16.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, “Insurance” companies pay a dividend yield of 2.9% and pay out 30.4% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. The Hartford Insurance Group has increased its dividend for 12 consecutive years.

Risk and Volatility

The Hartford Insurance Group has a beta of 0.48, meaning that its share price is 52% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, The Hartford Insurance Group’s peers have a beta of -1.59, meaning that their average share price is 259% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for The Hartford Insurance Group and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
The Hartford Insurance Group	0	12	5	1	2.39
The Hartford Insurance Group Competitors	3328	15655	16510	739	2.40

The Hartford Insurance Group presently has a consensus target price of $144.69, suggesting a potential upside of 5.56%. As a group, “Insurance” companies have a potential upside of 4.89%. Given The Hartford Insurance Group’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe The Hartford Insurance Group is more favorable than its peers.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

93.4% of The Hartford Insurance Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 55.9% of shares of all “Insurance” companies are held by institutional investors. 1.3% of The Hartford Insurance Group shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 13.6% of shares of all “Insurance” companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares The Hartford Insurance Group and its peers’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
The Hartford Insurance Group	15.85%	20.93%	4.52%
The Hartford Insurance Group Competitors	9.05%	-9.83%	4.11%

Summary

The Hartford Insurance Group beats its peers on 10 of the 15 factors compared.

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. The company's Personal Lines segment provides automobile, homeowners, and personal umbrella coverages through direct-to-consumer channels 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 leave management solution. This segment also distributes its group insurance products and services through brokers, consultants, third-party administrators, trade associations, and private exchanges. Its Hartford Funds segment offers managed mutual funds across various asset classes; and exchange-traded funds through broker-dealer organizations, independent financial advisers, defined contribution plans, financial consultants, bank trust groups, and registered investment advisers, as well as investment management, distribution, and administrative services, such as product design, implementation, and oversight. The company was founded in 1810 and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut.