The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the eighteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $122.28.

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target 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. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, StockNews.com raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HIG opened at $111.46 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $113.44 and a 200 day moving average of $112.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market capitalization of $32.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.98. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a 52 week low of $85.34 and a 52 week high of $124.90.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owns 25,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,021,972.80. The trade was a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hartford Financial Services Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HIG. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 437.9% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 871,318 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $95,322,000 after acquiring an additional 709,324 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 31,680.4% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 694,084 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $816,310,000 after acquiring an additional 691,900 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 17.3% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 3,938,421 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $430,272,000 after purchasing an additional 581,103 shares during the period. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec increased its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 42.1% during the third quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 935,298 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $110,000,000 after purchasing an additional 277,295 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC raised its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7,564.9% during the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 248,648 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,243,000 after purchasing an additional 245,404 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

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.