Unigestion Holding SA Reduces Stock Position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Unigestion Holding SA trimmed its holdings in 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 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 206,211 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 11,955 shares during the period. Unigestion Holding SA owned 0.07% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $22,559,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,079 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $337,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. grew its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% during the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 4,468 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $489,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 11,499 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,258,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smithfield Trust Co lifted its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 26.7% in the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 475 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:HIG traded up $1.08 during trading on Friday, reaching $115.87. 551,555 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,584,254. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $116.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $115.34. The firm has a market cap of $33.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $94.47 and a 12-month high of $125.08. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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, sell-side 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 business also recently disclosed 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 1.80%. 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%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped 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 report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 31st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $123.24.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. This represents a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total transaction of $11,805,563.79. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $25,412,161.98. The trade was a 31.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 112,343 shares of company stock worth $13,488,337 over the last quarter. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.