Morgan Stanley Cuts The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG) Price Target to $135.00

The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG) had its price target cut by Morgan Stanley from $145.00 to $135.00 in a research note released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Mizuho lowered The Hartford Insurance Group from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $163.00 to $154.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on The Hartford Insurance Group from $165.00 to $164.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Barclays reduced their price target on The Hartford Insurance Group from $156.00 to $155.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $146.00 price target (down from $148.00) on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $143.00 to $144.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $146.67.

The Hartford Insurance Group Stock Up 1.9%

HIG stock opened at $129.28 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $35.02 billion, a PE ratio of 8.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.49. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $135.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $135.10. The Hartford Insurance Group has a fifty-two week low of $120.33 and a fifty-two week high of $146.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The insurance provider reported $3.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $0.26. The Hartford Insurance Group had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 21.66%. The firm had revenue of $7.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.41 EPS. The Hartford Insurance Group’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Hartford Insurance Group will post 12.76 EPS for the current year.

The Hartford Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 1st. The Hartford Insurance Group’s payout ratio is currently 15.51%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. raised its position in The Hartford Insurance Group by 4.6% in the third quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 81,626 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $9,988,000 after acquiring an additional 3,600 shares in the last quarter. Acropolis Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 50.3% during the 3rd quarter. Acropolis Investment Management LLC now owns 2,400 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $294,000 after purchasing an additional 803 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 15,817 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,935,000 after purchasing an additional 373 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 11.2% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 10,261 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,256,000 after purchasing an additional 1,031 shares during the last quarter. Finally, YHB Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 2,463 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $301,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting The Hartford Insurance Group

Here are the key news stories impacting The Hartford Insurance Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays initiated or reaffirmed a Buy rating on HIG, adding to the positive analyst sentiment surrounding the insurer. Hartford Insurance Receives a Buy from Barclays
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its HIG price target to $145 from $144 and maintained an Overweight rating, implying roughly 12% potential upside from the referenced price. The call reflects expectations for further share-price appreciation. Cantor Fitzgerald Issues Positive Forecast for The Hartford Insurance Group
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis of HIG’s capital recycling strategy highlights the possibility of value-enhancing capital deployment and stronger shareholder returns, which could support the stock’s valuation over time. Hartford Insurance: Watch Value-Enhancing Capital Recycling and Shareholder Returns
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley kept a Hold rating on HIG, indicating that the firm sees a more balanced risk-reward profile rather than a clear catalyst for a significant move higher. Morgan Stanley Sticks to Its Hold Rating for Hartford Insurance
• Neutral Sentiment: HIG is preparing for a CEO transition in 2027. The planned leadership change may create uncertainty, although an orderly succession could limit disruption to the company’s strategy. The Hartford Insurance Group Prepares for a 2027 CEO Change
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho lowered its price target to $144 from $154 and assigned a Neutral rating. Although the revised target still indicates potential upside, the reduction signals more limited expectations for HIG’s near-term performance. Mizuho Lowers The Hartford Insurance Group Price Target

About The Hartford Insurance Group

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc, commonly known as The Hartford, is an insurance and financial services company headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1810, the company provides insurance products and related services to businesses, individuals and institutional customers primarily in the United States.

The Hartford’s main business includes commercial property and casualty insurance, workers’ compensation, liability coverage, commercial auto insurance and other products for businesses of various sizes.