The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Acquired by Martingale Asset Management L P

Martingale Asset Management L P boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 4.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 181,134 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 6,910 shares during the quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P owned about 0.06% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $19,816,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of HIG. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 7,251,389 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $792,796,000 after buying an additional 81,495 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,701,675 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $514,363,000 after purchasing an additional 202,487 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 17.3% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 3,938,421 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $430,272,000 after purchasing an additional 581,103 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $416,340,000. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,448,982 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $377,319,000 after buying an additional 25,053 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Up 1.8 %

Shares of HIG traded up $2.11 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $118.16. The company had a trading volume of 195,426 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,582,339. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a one year low of $94.47 and a one year high of $125.08. The company's fifty day moving average price is $116.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $115.32. The company has a market capitalization of $33.72 billion, a PE ratio of 11.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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%. As a group, equities 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 firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.10%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HIG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Raymond James lifted their price objective 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. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, 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 for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $124.13.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total value of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at $3,712,661.60. This trade represents a 29.32 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total transaction of $11,805,563.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $25,412,161.98. This represents a 31.72 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 112,343 shares of company stock valued at $13,488,337 in the last quarter. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.