Unigestion Holding SA Purchases 204,734 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Unigestion Holding SA boosted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 1,524.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 218,166 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 204,734 shares during the period. Unigestion Holding SA’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $25,654,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. DT Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Clean Yield Group acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Quest Partners LLC increased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2,750.0% during the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 285 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Family Firm Inc. bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total transaction of $803,479.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 25,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. This represents a 21.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on HIG. Bank of America upped their price target on 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. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price 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. StockNews.com upgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.00.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

NYSE HIG opened at $112.99 on Wednesday. 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 cap of $32.75 billion, a PE ratio of 11.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.95. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $78.33 and a 52 week high of $124.90. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $117.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $110.98.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This is a boost from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 2nd. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.84%.

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.