2,807 Shares in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Purchased by Optimize Financial Inc

Optimize Financial Inc purchased a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 2,807 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $307,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in HIG. Horizon Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $277,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted 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 worth $95,322,000 after purchasing an additional 709,324 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.5% during 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. Suncoast Equity Management purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter valued at $311,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 62.1% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 28,622 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $3,131,000 after buying an additional 10,964 shares during the last quarter. 93.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Down 0.5 %

NYSE HIG traded down $0.54 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $117.13. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,128,123 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,584,155. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.47 and a fifty-two week high of $125.08. The company has a market cap of $33.74 billion, a PE ratio of 11.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. 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 $116.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $115.34.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, equities 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 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 1.78%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's payout ratio is presently 20.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on HIG. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com lowered shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Raymond James raised their price target on 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. Nine equities research 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $124.13.

Insider Buying and Selling

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