The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Acquired by Czech National Bank

Czech National Bank increased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 5.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 62,855 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 3,165 shares during the quarter. Czech National Bank’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $6,876,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. DT Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Quest Partners LLC grew its position in 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 valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Clean Yield Group acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on HIG. Barclays upgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $135.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.28.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

HIG opened at $109.36 on Wednesday. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $81.87 and a 12-month high of $124.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.96, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.98. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $114.31 and a 200-day moving average of $112.49.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was 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 presently 20.84%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total transaction of $803,479.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. The trade was a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company 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.