Bank of New Hampshire Sells 300 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Bank of New Hampshire cut its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 9.9% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,743 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 300 shares during the period. Bank of New Hampshire’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $300,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. DT Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Quest Partners LLC raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2,750.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 285 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the period. Clean Yield Group bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth about $33,000. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 93.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the firm’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 value of $803,479.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,820 shares in the company, valued at $3,021,972.80. This trade represents a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $109.10 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $114.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $112.29. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $81.04 and a 1-year high of $124.90. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $31.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.98.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a $0.52 dividend. This is a boost from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.84%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HIG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. 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. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Nine 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.28.

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.