The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) Shares Sold by Avestar Capital LLC

Avestar Capital LLC trimmed its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 11.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,792 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 221 shares during the period. Avestar Capital LLC’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $211,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. DT Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Quest Partners LLC increased its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2,750.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 285 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Bank & Trust Co acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Clean Yield Group acquired a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on HIG shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 17th. Argus raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped 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, Barclays started coverage on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $130.00 price objective for the company. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.00.

Insider Activity at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,820 shares in the company, 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 filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

NYSE HIG opened at $123.74 on Friday. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.65 and a 12 month high of $124.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.87 billion, a PE ratio of 12.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.94. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $117.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $109.94.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This is a positive change from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.84%.

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.