Royal London Asset Management Ltd. Has $25.46 Million Stock Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Royal London Asset Management Ltd. boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 216,487 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 17,782 shares during the quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. owned 0.07% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $25,461,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HIG. DT Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Quest Partners LLC raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2,750.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 285 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Clean Yield Group bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, BNP Paribas acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HIG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $121.00 to $124.00 and gave the company 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 research note on Friday, November 15th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $122.00.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HIG traded down $1.68 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $119.54. 982,217 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,285,954. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $117.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $110.63. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $77.82 and a twelve month high of $124.90.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.74%. This is a positive change from The Hartford Financial Services Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.84%.

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.