The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Receives $123.24 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the sixteen analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $124.13.

HIG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com cut shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Up 1.3 %

NYSE HIG traded up $1.51 on Friday, reaching $118.67. The company had a trading volume of 116,459 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,733,125. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $116.76 and a 200-day moving average of $115.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.18 billion, a PE ratio of 11.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a 1 year low of $94.47 and a 1 year high of $125.08. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share 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 research analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.75%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.10%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total value of $143,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total transaction of $1,539,773.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at $3,712,661.60. This trade represents a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 112,343 shares of company stock valued at $13,488,337 over the last 90 days. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hartford Financial Services Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Barrett & Company Inc. raised its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% during the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Finally, DT Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% during the fourth quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company's stock.

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.