Headlands Technologies LLC Boosts Stock Position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Headlands Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 6,198.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 7,684 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,562 shares during the quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $618,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GoalVest Advisory LLC increased its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 464.8% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 305 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 251 shares during the period. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. CVA Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Selway Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on HIG. Raymond James restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $120.00 price target (up previously from $100.00) on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, April 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $91.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, April 8th. UBS Group increased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Roth Mkm increased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $110.00 to $109.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $105.81.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Down 3.8 %

Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock traded down $3.79 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $95.30. 2,889,683 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,622,156. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $98.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $86.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a market cap of $28.33 billion, a PE ratio of 10.83, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.89. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $67.05 and a twelve month high of $103.64.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The insurance provider reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.43 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $6.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.51 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 10.87% and a return on equity of 21.04%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.68 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 10.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.97%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Michael R. Fisher sold 27,004 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total value of $2,670,695.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 18,906 shares in the company, valued at $1,869,803.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Michael R. Fisher sold 27,004 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total value of $2,670,695.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 18,906 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,869,803.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 8,206 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.60, for a total transaction of $784,493.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,468,392. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 106,501 shares of company stock worth $10,141,126. Corporate insiders own 1.60% 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.