Newport Trust Company LLC Sells 59,994 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Newport Trust Company LLC lowered its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,928,005 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 59,994 shares during the quarter. The Hartford Financial Services Group comprises 0.6% of Newport Trust Company LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Newport Trust Company LLC’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $235,353,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 11.7% during the 4th quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,165 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $254,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares during the last quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,875,000. New Millennium Group LLC acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,552,000. SteelPeak Wealth LLC bought a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,691,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 19.8% during the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 49,614 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $4,003,000 after buying an additional 8,203 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 14,528 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.97, for a total transaction of $1,365,196.16. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 46,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,397,044.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 14,528 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.97, for a total value of $1,365,196.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 46,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,397,044.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,516 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 630 shares in the company, valued at $59,566.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 180,580 shares of company stock valued at $17,711,492 in the last ninety days. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on HIG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $114.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $91.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, May 13th. Argus upped their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $104.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 15th. Finally, Roth Mkm boosted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $105.88.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Down 1.1 %

HIG traded down $1.09 during trading on Monday, reaching $102.08. 1,271,635 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,772,475. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $99.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.19 billion, a PE ratio of 11.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.90. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $67.42 and a fifty-two week high of $103.64.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The insurance provider reported $2.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.43 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $6.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.51 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 20.64% and a net margin of 10.87%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.68 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 9.94 EPS for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 3rd will be paid a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is 21.36%.

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.