Capital Fund Management S.A. Grows Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Capital Fund Management S.A. grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 33.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 100,511 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 25,380 shares during the quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A.'s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $10,996,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in HIG. Norges Bank purchased a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $416,340,000. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd grew its holdings in shares of 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 during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 437.9% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 871,318 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $95,322,000 after purchasing an additional 709,324 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 11,904.7% in the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 631,565 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $632,000 after purchasing an additional 626,304 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $65,256,000. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 1.2 %

HIG traded up $1.43 during trading on Thursday, hitting $118.58. The company's stock had a trading volume of 500,180 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,579,559. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.47 and a twelve month high of $125.08. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $116.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $115.35. 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 stock has a market cap of $34.15 billion, a PE ratio of 11.45, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, analysts expect that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.75%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.10%.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total value of $143,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,385,250. This trade represents a 0.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total transaction of $1,539,773.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. This trade represents a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 112,343 shares of company stock worth $13,488,337 in the last three months. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HIG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Raymond James increased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $124.13.

The Hartford Financial Services Group 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.