The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $133.67.

HIG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $134.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $145.00 to $142.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 7th.

The Hartford Insurance Group Price Performance

NYSE:HIG opened at $122.84 on Friday. The Hartford Insurance Group has a 52 week low of $101.12 and a 52 week high of $132.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.90 billion, a PE ratio of 12.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.69. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $126.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $119.68.

The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $2.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $6.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.97 billion. The Hartford Insurance Group had a net margin of 11.10% and a return on equity of 18.73%. The business’s revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.34 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Hartford Insurance Group will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd were given a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 2nd. The Hartford Insurance Group’s payout ratio is presently 20.74%.

Insider Activity

In other The Hartford Insurance Group news, SVP Allison G. Niderno sold 1,086 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.42, for a total transaction of $129,690.12. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 622 shares in the company, valued at approximately $74,279.24. This trade represents a 63.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hartford Insurance Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Park Square Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 146.2% in the first quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC now owns 261 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the period. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Center for Financial Planning Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 123.8% in the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 291 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the period. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hartford Insurance 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.