Yousif Capital Management LLC Trims Stock Position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Yousif Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 5.8% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 44,550 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 2,720 shares during the quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $3,581,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HIG. GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 464.8% during the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 305 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. CVA Family Office LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Selway Asset Management bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth about $29,000. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

The Hartford Financial Services Group stock opened at $95.30 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.89. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $67.05 and a 1-year high of $103.64. The company’s 50-day moving average is $98.50 and its 200 day moving average is $86.34.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The insurance provider reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.43 by ($0.09). The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 21.04% and a net margin of 10.87%. The business had revenue of $6.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.51 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.68 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 10.11 EPS for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.97%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.36%.

Insider Transactions 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 shares were sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total transaction 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 approximately $1,869,803.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,516 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.55, for a total transaction of $143,337.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 630 shares in the company, valued at approximately $59,566.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael R. Fisher sold 27,004 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total transaction of $2,670,695.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 18,906 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,869,803.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 106,501 shares of company stock worth $10,141,126. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HIG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $110.00 to $109.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group to $144.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $107.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Citigroup boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $109.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased 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, April 12th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $105.81.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Company 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.