Great Lakes Advisors LLC Purchases 27,783 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Great Lakes Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,129,381 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 27,783 shares during the quarter. The Hartford Financial Services Group comprises approximately 1.1% of Great Lakes Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Great Lakes Advisors LLC owned about 0.39% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $123,554,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7.1% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 111,134 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $13,063,000 after acquiring an additional 7,350 shares in the last quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd now owns 137,506 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $16,172,000 after purchasing an additional 4,449 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $277,000. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $19,005,000. Finally, Citigroup Inc. boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 314,849 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $37,029,000 after purchasing an additional 10,566 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Up 0.0 %

Shares of HIG opened at $117.36 on Wednesday. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $94.47 and a 52-week high of $124.90. The company has a market capitalization of $33.49 billion, a PE ratio of 11.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.91. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $112.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $114.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.26. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is 20.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Barclays upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.94.

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.