HighTower Advisors LLC Has $13.06 Million Stock Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

HighTower Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 7.1% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 111,134 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 7,350 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $13,063,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in HIG. DT Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Clean Yield Group acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Quest Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2,750.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 285 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Family Firm Inc. bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on HIG. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. UBS Group raised their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. StockNews.com upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Barclays started coverage on The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $130.00 price objective on the stock. Ten equities research 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. According to MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.00.

Insider Activity at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total value of $803,479.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 25,820 shares in the company, valued at $3,021,972.80. This trade represents a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $119.54 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $117.86 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $110.81. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $77.82 and a 1-year high of $124.90. The firm has a market cap of $34.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.95.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.74%. This is a positive change from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.84%.

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.