The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Purchased by Bank of Montreal Can

Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 4.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 435,627 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,385 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $50,873,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 1.2% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,809,358 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $584,177,000 after purchasing an additional 69,007 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.9% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,497,960 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $150,605,000 after purchasing an additional 70,018 shares in the last quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.4% in the second quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 1,367,400 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $137,478,000 after purchasing an additional 31,806 shares in the last quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.4% in the second quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 1,229,133 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $123,577,000 after purchasing an additional 40,400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 22.7% in the third quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 1,199,542 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $141,078,000 after purchasing an additional 221,778 shares in the last quarter. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 0.9 %

NYSE:HIG opened at $123.74 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $117.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $109.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.40, a PEG ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.94. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.65 and a 1 year high of $124.90.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given a $0.52 dividend. This is a boost from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.68%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on HIG. StockNews.com upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Barclays began coverage on The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $130.00 price objective for the company. Argus upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the company’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 owns 25,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. This represents a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.