The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $122.00.

Several analysts have issued reports on HIG shares. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 17th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Bank of America raised their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $121.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total value of $803,479.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. DT Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Quest Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2,750.0% in the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 285 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Clean Yield Group acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter valued at $33,000. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HIG opened at $109.40 on Wednesday. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a fifty-two week low of $80.63 and a fifty-two week high of $124.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.32. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $115.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $112.06. The firm has a market cap of $31.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.95.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 is a positive change from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.90%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.84%.

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.