RiverFront Investment Group LLC Buys 13,553 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

RiverFront Investment Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 5.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 243,796 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 13,553 shares during the period. RiverFront Investment Group LLC owned 0.08% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $26,671,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% during the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the period. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% in the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% during the 4th quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total value 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 trade represents a 31.72 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. The trade was a 29.32 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock traded up $0.32 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $124.71. 432,773 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,573,780. The stock has a market cap of $35.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.05, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.32. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $116.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $115.39. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.47 and a 12 month high of $124.90.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.26. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast 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 issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.67%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on HIG. Raymond James increased their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday. StockNews.com cut The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Barclays upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. 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. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $124.61.

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.