The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Sold by Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P.

Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. cut its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 32.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 32,378 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 15,578 shares during the period. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P.’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $3,808,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,809,358 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $584,177,000 after buying an additional 69,007 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.9% during the 2nd 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 during the period. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.4% during the 2nd 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 during the period. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.4% during the 2nd 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 during the period. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 22.7% during the 3rd 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 during the period. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total transaction of $803,479.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 25,820 shares in the company, valued at $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Up 0.9 %

NYSE HIG opened at $123.74 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $117.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $109.94. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.65 and a 12 month high of $124.90. The company has a market capitalization of $35.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.40, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.94.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.68%. This is a positive change from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is currently 18.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on HIG. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of 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. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $121.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $130.00 price target for the company. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.00.

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.