Signet Financial Management LLC Sells 193 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Signet Financial Management LLC lessened its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 0.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,446 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 193 shares during the quarter. Signet Financial Management LLC’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $2,447,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Flputnam Investment Management Co. raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 29.7% during the fourth quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. now owns 38,288 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,078,000 after acquiring an additional 8,776 shares in the last quarter. Invesco LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth $215,000. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 37,148 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,986,000 after acquiring an additional 557 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter worth $1,463,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 8.9% during the fourth quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,416 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $114,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on HIG shares. Roth Mkm upped their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $77.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of 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. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $92.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $114.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $105.47.

Insider Activity at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 14,528 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.97, for a total value of $1,365,196.16. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 46,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,397,044.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 4,633 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.06, for a total transaction of $384,816.98. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 170,180 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,135,150.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 14,528 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.97, for a total value of $1,365,196.16. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 46,792 shares in the company, valued at $4,397,044.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 253,715 shares of company stock valued at $22,789,138. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE:HIG traded up $0.37 on Tuesday, reaching $97.67. 894,909 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,788,694. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.89. The company’s 50 day moving average is $97.21 and its 200-day moving average is $84.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $67.05 and a 1-year high of $103.64.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 2nd. The insurance provider reported $3.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.62. The business had revenue of $6.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.84 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 10.21% and a return on equity of 19.82%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.31 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 10.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th were given a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 1st. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is currently 23.53%.

The Hartford Financial Services Group 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.