AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Acquires 881,224 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 265.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,213,074 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 881,224 shares during the quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd owned approximately 0.42% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $132,710,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. DT Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter worth $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. lifted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% during the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth about $40,000. 93.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:HIG traded up $0.18 on Wednesday, hitting $113.00. 1,661,694 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,664,322. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.97. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $92.54 and a 12 month high of $124.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $110.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $114.07.

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

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.84%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HIG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Barclays raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price target for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $122.94.

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.