The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Acquired by Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd

Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 137,506 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 4,449 shares during the quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd's holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $16,172,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.9% during the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 435,627 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $50,873,000 after purchasing an additional 20,385 shares in the last quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp increased its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 0.8% during the third quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp now owns 16,816 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,978,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the period. Boston Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter worth approximately $227,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 56.4% during the third quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 4,764 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $560,000 after buying an additional 1,718 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter worth approximately $340,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total value of $803,479.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 25,820 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. This trade represents a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HIG traded up $0.80 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $122.32. 363,926 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,592,874. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $116.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $109.60. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.65 and a 1-year high of $123.23. The firm has a market cap of $35.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.94.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 2nd. This is an increase from The Hartford Financial Services Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.70%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.84%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on HIG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 17th. Finally, 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. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $120.88.

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.