Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 5,061 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lowered its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 527,814 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 5,061 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.18% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $57,729,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of HIG. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7.1% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 111,134 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $13,063,000 after purchasing an additional 7,350 shares during the last quarter. Horizon Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $277,000. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth about $19,005,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 437.9% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 871,318 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $95,322,000 after buying an additional 709,324 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,701,675 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $514,363,000 after acquiring an additional 202,487 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HIG traded up $1.26 during trading on Friday, reaching $116.05. The stock had a trading volume of 1,351,158 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,588,690. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $116.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $115.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $94.47 and a 52 week high of $125.08.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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, analysts anticipate 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.10%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on HIG shares. Barclays lifted 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. Raymond James lifted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler lifted 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 note on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $124.13.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total transaction of $143,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at $26,385,250. The trade was a 0.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the company's 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. This trade represents a 29.32 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 112,343 shares of company stock worth $13,488,337 over the last three months. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.