The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Announces Quarterly Dividend of $0.52

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 19th,RTT News reports. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of 0.52 per share by the insurance provider on Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.84%.

The Hartford Financial Services Group has raised its dividend payment by an average of 10.4% annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 12 consecutive years. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a payout ratio of 16.3% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect The Hartford Financial Services Group to earn $12.67 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.08 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 16.4%.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Up 0.2 %

The Hartford Financial Services Group stock traded up $0.18 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $113.00. The stock had a trading volume of 1,659,188 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,664,213. 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 stock has a market cap of $32.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.92, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.97. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a 12 month low of $92.54 and a 12 month high of $124.90. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $110.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $114.07.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. Research analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on 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. Finally, Barclays raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.94.

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.