The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on HIG. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Barclays raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $122.94.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of HIG traded down $0.47 on Tuesday, reaching $119.20. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,026,395 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,463,676. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.02 billion, a PE ratio of 11.50, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a twelve month low of $94.47 and a twelve month high of $124.90. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $114.10 and a 200-day moving average of $115.03.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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%. Equities analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total value of $11,805,563.79. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,412,161.98. This represents a 31.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were 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 owns 31,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. The trade was a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hartford Financial Services Group

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% in the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 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.