MUFG Securities EMEA plc Increases Position in The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. $HIG

MUFG Securities EMEA plc lifted its position in The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 1,221.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 71,123 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 65,741 shares during the quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc’s holdings in The Hartford Insurance Group were worth $9,801,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 707.7% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 210 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the third quarter worth $26,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the third quarter worth $29,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the third quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 144.8% in the fourth quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 257 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. 93.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at The Hartford Insurance Group

In other news, President Adin M. Tooker sold 8,895 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.13, for a total transaction of $1,201,981.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 38,208 shares in the company, valued at $5,163,047.04. This trade represents a 18.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Lori A. Rodden sold 40,693 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.05, for a total value of $5,617,668.65. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 25,392 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,505,365.60. The trade was a 61.58% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HIG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group lowered their price target on The Hartford Insurance Group from $157.00 to $155.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 27th. Barclays lowered their price target on The Hartford Insurance Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 24th. Citigroup boosted their price target on The Hartford Insurance Group from $138.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $149.00 price target (down from $163.00) on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a report on Monday, March 30th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $149.31.

The Hartford Insurance Group Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of The Hartford Insurance Group stock opened at $127.29 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $34.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.95, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.47. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $135.47 and a 200-day moving average price of $136.04. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $119.61 and a twelve month high of $144.50.

The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The insurance provider reported $3.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.39 by ($0.30). The firm had revenue of $7.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.41 billion. The Hartford Insurance Group had a net margin of 14.10% and a return on equity of 22.52%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.20 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. will post 13.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The Hartford Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.87%.

The Hartford Insurance Group Profile

The Hartford Financial Services Group, commonly known as The Hartford, is a U.S.-based insurance and investment company that provides a broad range of commercial and personal insurance products and employee benefits. Its core businesses include property and casualty insurance for businesses and individuals, group benefits such as group life, disability and dental plans, and retirement and investment solutions offered through affiliated asset-management operations. The company also delivers risk management, claims-handling and loss-prevention services designed to support policyholders across a variety of industries.

Founded in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1810, The Hartford is one of the oldest insurance organizations in the United States and has a long history of underwriting and product development across multiple insurance lines.