Spurstone Advisory Services LLC Takes Position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 300 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $33,000. The Hartford Financial Services Group comprises approximately 0.6% of Spurstone Advisory Services LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its stake in shares of 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 worth $26,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 10.3% during the fourth quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 3,023 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 282 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 251.4% during the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 7,078 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $774,000 after purchasing an additional 5,064 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 2,645 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $289,000 after purchasing an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc. increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc. now owns 3,439 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $376,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Up 1.4%

HIG stock opened at $131.09 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $120.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $116.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.67, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $98.16 and a fifty-two week high of $132.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $2.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $6.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.97 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 11.72% and a return on equity of 19.55%. The business’s revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.34 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate 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 business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.74%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. UBS Group increased their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Raymond James upped 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 report on Monday, March 31st. StockNews.com cut The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on 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, April 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Eight research 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,086 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.42, for a total value of $129,690.12. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 622 shares in the company, valued at approximately $74,279.24. This trade represents a 63.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 1,144 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total transaction of $143,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly 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 113,429 shares of company stock valued at $13,618,028 over the last 90 days. 1.50% 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.