305,054 Shares in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Bought by Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super

Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super purchased a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 305,054 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $33,373,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in HIG. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $761,000. Promethos Capital LLC grew its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Promethos Capital LLC now owns 47,469 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $5,193,000 after buying an additional 1,590 shares during the period. CreativeOne Wealth LLC increased its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 11,767 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,287,000 after purchasing an additional 424 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC raised its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 53,611 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $5,865,000 after buying an additional 810 shares during the period. Finally, Trustmark National Bank Trust Department lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Trustmark National Bank Trust Department now owns 42,947 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $4,698,000 after purchasing an additional 829 shares in the last quarter. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

HIG stock opened at $116.05 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.21, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $116.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $115.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $94.47 and a 12-month high of $125.08.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.26. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. As a group, equities analysts predict 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 issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.10%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $125.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target 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. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total transaction of $11,805,563.79. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at $25,412,161.98. The trade was a 31.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total transaction of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. The trade was a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 112,343 shares of company stock valued at $13,488,337. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group 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.