Trustmark National Bank Trust Department Boosts Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

Trustmark National Bank Trust Department raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 42,947 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 829 shares during the period. Trustmark National Bank Trust Department’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $4,698,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% in the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 49.8% in the fourth quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Key Financial Inc grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 526.3% during the 4th quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 357 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. 93.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 1.1 %

HIG stock opened at $116.05 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $116.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $115.32. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.47 and a fifty-two week high of $125.08. The firm has a market cap of $33.12 billion, a PE ratio of 11.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.32.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.94 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.26. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 11.72% and a return on equity of 19.55%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.79%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.10%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on HIG shares. Barclays raised their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $126.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.13.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total value of $1,539,773.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. This represents a 29.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total transaction of $11,805,563.79. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 211,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,412,161.98. This represents a 31.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 112,343 shares of company stock valued at $13,488,337 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services 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.