Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 24,054 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans cut its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 37.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 39,517 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 24,054 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $4,323,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% during the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% during the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC raised its position in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

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Insider Activity at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,412,161.98. This trade represents a 31.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at $3,712,661.60. This represents a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

HIG stock traded down $0.77 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $122.21. 1,324,792 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,576,175. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.88 billion, a PE ratio of 11.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.91. The business has a 50-day moving average of $115.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $115.26. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $94.47 and a 52 week 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 Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last announced 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%. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.10%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on HIG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on 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. Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com lowered shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, Barclays raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $122.94.

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.