The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Sold by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio cut its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 10.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 142,674 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 15,849 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $16,780,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of HIG. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 5.5% in the third quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 88,084 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $10,360,000 after acquiring an additional 4,584 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC lifted its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 32,239 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $3,792,000 after purchasing an additional 3,731 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd boosted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 38.8% during the third quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 15,369 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,808,000 after purchasing an additional 4,297 shares in the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management increased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 11.0% during the third quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 445,519 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $52,398,000 after buying an additional 44,046 shares during the period. Finally, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI bought a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth approximately $19,005,000. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

HIG traded up $0.04 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $113.02. 1,875,152 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,592,379. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $78.33 and a 1 year high of $124.90. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $117.73 and its 200-day simple moving average is $111.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.95.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.84%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's payout ratio is currently 20.84%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total transaction of $803,479.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,820 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. This represents a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on HIG. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $121.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Barclays began coverage on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $130.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Ten investment 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $122.00.

About The Hartford Financial Services Group

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.