The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Sold by Geode Capital Management LLC

Geode Capital Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 4.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 7,169,894 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 299,908 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.47% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $840,458,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of HIG. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $212,000. M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.0% during the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 41,166 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,842,000 after acquiring an additional 1,600 shares during the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 5.0% in the third quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 35,821 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $4,171,000 after purchasing an additional 1,716 shares during the period. Geller Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 10.7% in the 3rd quarter. Geller Advisors LLC now owns 2,846 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $336,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 88,084 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $10,360,000 after purchasing an additional 4,584 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.42% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HIG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Barclays assumed coverage on The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $130.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $122.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the business'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 in the company, valued at $3,021,972.80. The trade was a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

NYSE HIG traded down $2.11 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $110.92. The company had a trading volume of 3,065,145 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,598,516. The business has a 50 day moving average of $117.64 and a 200-day moving average of $111.08. The company has a market cap of $32.15 billion, a PE ratio of 11.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.32. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $78.33 and a 1-year high of $124.90.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This is an increase from The Hartford Financial Services Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.84%.

About The Hartford Financial Services Group

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.