B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. Sells 187 Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 1.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,817 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 187 shares during the quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc.’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $1,985,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in HIG. DT Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Quest Partners LLC grew its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2,750.0% in the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 285 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares during the period. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Clean Yield Group acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, BNP Paribas acquired a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HIG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. StockNews.com raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $100.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $130.00 price objective for the company. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total value of $803,479.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 25,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. This trade represents a 21.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

The Hartford Financial Services Group stock opened at $112.08 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $117.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $111.31. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a one year low of $78.33 and a one year 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 cap of $32.49 billion, a PE ratio of 11.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.95.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This is an increase 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%.

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.