EP Wealth Advisors LLC Has $2.04 Million Holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

EP Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 588.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 17,344 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,825 shares during the quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $2,040,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $213,000. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ lifted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 27.6% during the second quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 221,896 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $22,309,000 after purchasing an additional 48,004 shares during the period. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.3% during the third quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd now owns 137,506 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $16,172,000 after purchasing an additional 4,449 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 111,134 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $13,063,000 after purchasing an additional 7,350 shares during the period. Finally, Lecap Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $633,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 17th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. StockNews.com raised shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $130.00 target price for the company. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $3,021,972.80. The trade was a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

The Hartford Financial Services Group stock opened at $116.21 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $117.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $110.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock has a market cap of $33.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.64, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.95. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $78.33 and a 12-month high of $124.90.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This is a boost from The Hartford Financial Services Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.79%. The Hartford Financial Services Group’s payout ratio is currently 20.84%.

The Hartford Financial Services Group 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.