New York State Common Retirement Fund Sells 13,600 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

New York State Common Retirement Fund cut its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 5.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 231,539 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 13,600 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned about 0.08% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $25,330,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund increased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 82.5% in the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 15,832 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,732,000 after buying an additional 7,157 shares during the period. Key Financial Inc boosted its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 526.3% during the 4th quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 357 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $393,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 19,497 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,133,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 45,235 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,949,000 after purchasing an additional 1,536 shares during the period. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on HIG. StockNews.com lowered The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $122.94.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 2.4 %

HIG stock traded up $2.71 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $116.53. The company had a trading volume of 2,113,226 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,690,951. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $111.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $114.32. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.32 and a 12 month high of $124.90. 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 market cap of $33.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.26, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.97.

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 EPS 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%. As a group, analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.79%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.10%.

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.