Zacks Investment Management Has $43.17 Million Stock Position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Zacks Investment Management reduced its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG - Free Report) by 11.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 394,643 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 50,876 shares during the quarter. Zacks Investment Management owned about 0.14% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $43,174,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in HIG. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% during the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the period. Barrett & Company Inc. raised 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 worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. DT Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% during the fourth quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Key Financial Inc boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 526.3% in the 4th quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 357 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

NYSE:HIG traded up $0.69 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $117.84. The stock had a trading volume of 1,403,365 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,578,707. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $117.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $115.35. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.47 and a twelve month high of $125.08. The stock has a market cap of $33.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.39, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results 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, equities research analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.77%. The Hartford Financial Services Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, 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 stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total value of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. The trade was a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total transaction of $143,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares of the company's stock, valued at $26,385,250. This represents a 0.54 % decrease in their position. 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 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HIG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Raymond James increased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. Eight equities research 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $124.13.

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.