The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Holdings Reduced by Hantz Financial Services Inc.

Hantz Financial Services Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 6.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,010 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 326 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $548,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Trust Co. of Vermont boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 27.9% during the 3rd quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 403 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group raised its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.0% during the third quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 2,444 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $287,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 11,499 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,258,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. Catalina Capital Group LLC grew its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Catalina Capital Group LLC now owns 2,488 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $293,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Advisory Services Inc. increased its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 5,621 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $661,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the period. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of HIG stock opened at $111.51 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $32.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.17, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.98. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $85.34 and a 1-year high of $124.90. 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’s fifty day simple moving average is $113.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $113.35.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released 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 20.35% and a net margin of 11.62%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 10.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total transaction of $803,479.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. This trade represents a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on HIG. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. StockNews.com raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $135.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Barclays upgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.28.

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.