Bailard Inc. Raises Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Bailard Inc. lifted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 11.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,388 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 2,261 shares during the quarter. Bailard Inc.'s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $2,340,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of HIG. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% during the fourth 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. grew its holdings in 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 period. BNP Paribas acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% in the fourth quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Down 2.2 %

Shares of NYSE:HIG traded down $2.63 on Tuesday, hitting $117.14. 2,332,661 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,768,343. The firm's 50-day moving average is $112.05 and its 200 day moving average is $114.63. The company has a market capitalization of $33.43 billion, a PE ratio of 11.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.97. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $94.47 and a 1-year high of $124.90. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share 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%. Sell-side analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.10%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HIG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Barclays upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $122.94.

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.