The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Bought by Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 5.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 166,181 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 7,995 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned 0.06% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $18,180,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 111,134 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $13,063,000 after purchasing an additional 7,350 shares during the period. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.3% in the third quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd now owns 137,506 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $16,172,000 after buying an additional 4,449 shares in the last quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter worth $19,005,000. Citigroup Inc. grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.5% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 314,849 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $37,029,000 after acquiring an additional 10,566 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 709,324 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:HIG traded up $0.97 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $118.44. 4,524,590 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,747,292. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $111.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $114.35. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $94.32 and a 1 year 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 firm has a market capitalization of $33.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.97.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 11.72% and a return on equity of 19.55%. Equities 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 Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's payout ratio is presently 20.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on HIG. Barclays raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued 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. StockNews.com downgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $122.94.

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.