Royal London Asset Management Ltd. Acquires 17,782 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Royal London Asset Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 8.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 216,487 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,782 shares during the period. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. owned 0.07% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $25,461,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Redwood Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC now owns 14,339 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,675,000 after buying an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 15,671.0% during the third quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd now owns 31,542 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $3,710,000 after acquiring an additional 31,342 shares in the last quarter. New Vernon Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. New Vernon Investment Management LLC now owns 59,524 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $7,001,000 after acquiring an additional 19,842 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 6,930 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $815,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Investment Management Corp of Ontario grew its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.7% during the third quarter. Investment Management Corp of Ontario now owns 69,013 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $8,117,000 after purchasing an additional 3,100 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

HIG opened at $119.54 on Friday. 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 business has a fifty day moving average of $117.81 and a 200 day moving average of $110.63. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $77.82 and a 52-week high of $124.90. The stock has a market cap of $34.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.98, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.95.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 2nd. 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 1.74%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.84%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HIG has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Barclays initiated coverage on The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $130.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, UBS Group boosted 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. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. This trade represents a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.