Yousif Capital Management LLC Sells 2,720 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Yousif Capital Management LLC trimmed its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 44,550 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 2,720 shares during the quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $3,581,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $477,000. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 12.8% in the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 180,374 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $14,498,000 after acquiring an additional 20,462 shares during the period. Foster & Motley Inc. increased its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 104,690 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $8,415,000 after acquiring an additional 6,476 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 20.6% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 3,280 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $265,000 after purchasing an additional 561 shares during the period. Finally, Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth $227,000. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,332 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.74, for a total value of $119,533.68. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 630 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $56,536.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, EVP Michael R. Fisher sold 27,004 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total transaction of $2,670,695.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 18,906 shares in the company, valued at $1,869,803.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,332 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.74, for a total value of $119,533.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 630 shares in the company, valued at $56,536.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 106,501 shares of company stock valued at $10,141,126. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $95.30 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $98.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $86.34. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $67.05 and a 1-year high of $103.64. The firm has a market cap of $28.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.89.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The insurance provider reported $2.34 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.43 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $6.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.51 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 10.87% and a return on equity of 21.04%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.68 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 10.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.97%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is 21.36%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HIG has been the topic of several research reports. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, April 1st. Raymond James restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $120.00 target price (up previously from $100.00) on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, April 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted 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. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $92.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group to $144.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $105.81.

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.