Allianz Asset Management GmbH Buys 246,528 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 43.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 809,411 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 246,528 shares during the quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH owned about 0.28% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $88,550,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 265.5% in the 4th 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. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 437.9% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 871,318 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $95,322,000 after buying an additional 709,324 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 17.3% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 3,938,421 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $430,272,000 after buying an additional 581,103 shares in the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec grew its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 42.1% during the third quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 935,298 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $110,000,000 after buying an additional 277,295 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7,564.9% during the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 248,648 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $29,243,000 after acquiring an additional 245,404 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

The Hartford Financial Services Group stock traded up $2.09 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $115.91. The company had a trading volume of 487,815 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,644,154. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $111.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $114.27. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $94.32 and a 52 week high of $124.90.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.26. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.10%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HIG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $122.94.

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.