Dean Capital Management Takes Position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Dean Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 18,255 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,467,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 464.8% during the fourth quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 305 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. CVA Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Cape Investment Advisory Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 189.9% in the fourth quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 374 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HIG traded up $0.02 during trading on Monday, reaching $100.87. 1,092,230 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,718,903. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $100.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $92.34. The stock has a market cap of $29.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.46, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.93. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $68.82 and a 12-month high of $103.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The insurance provider reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $6.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.51 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 10.87% and a return on equity of 20.64%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.68 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 9.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, June 3rd will be paid a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 3rd. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.86%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.36%.

Insider Activity at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, EVP Michael R. Fisher sold 27,004 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total value of $2,670,695.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 18,906 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,869,803.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Jonathan R. Bennett sold 18,335 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.78, for a total value of $1,847,801.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,643 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,584,301.54. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Michael R. Fisher sold 27,004 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total value of $2,670,695.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 18,906 shares in the company, valued at $1,869,803.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 117,415 shares of company stock worth $11,705,195 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $114.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $96.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. Citigroup boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, May 13th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $110.00 to $109.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, April 1st. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $105.88.

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.