The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) Price Target Raised to $139.00

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) had its price target hoisted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $135.00 to $139.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has an outperform rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. StockNews.com upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised 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. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target 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. Finally, Bank of America upped their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $121.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.50.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Down 2.9 %

NYSE:HIG opened at $106.25 on Friday. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a 1 year low of $81.69 and a 1 year high of $124.90. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $114.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $112.26. 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 company has a market cap of $30.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.65, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.98.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.96%. This is a positive change from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.84%.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total transaction of $803,479.60. Following the transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Hartford Financial Services Group

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HIG. DT Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Quest Partners LLC increased its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2,750.0% in the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 285 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares during the period. Clean Yield Group bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter valued at about $33,000. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.