4,038 Shares in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Purchased by Ipsen Advisor Group LLC

Ipsen Advisor Group LLC acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 4,038 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $442,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in HIG. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. raised its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% during the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% in the 4th quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total value of $11,805,563.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,412,161.98. This trade represents a 31.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total value of $1,539,773.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. This trade represents a 29.32 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Up 0.3 %

The Hartford Financial Services Group stock opened at $121.46 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.32. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $114.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $115.12. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.47 and a fifty-two week high of $124.90. The company has a market capitalization of $34.66 billion, a PE ratio of 11.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.91.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. Research analysts expect 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 firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on HIG. Barclays raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. StockNews.com cut shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price 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 note on Wednesday, November 27th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.94.

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.