KBC Group NV Has $88.38 Million Position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG)

KBC Group NV lessened its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG) by 21.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 807,900 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 224,340 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $88,384,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7.1% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 111,134 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $13,063,000 after acquiring an additional 7,350 shares during the period. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd increased its stake 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 acquiring an additional 4,449 shares during the period. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the third quarter valued at $633,000. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $19,005,000. Finally, Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 314,849 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $37,029,000 after acquiring an additional 10,566 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on HIG shares. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of 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. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Bank of America upped their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $121.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Barclays raised The Hartford Financial Services Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, 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. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.28.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.04, for a total value of $803,479.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. The trade was a 21.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of HIG stock opened at $111.46 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $32.31 billion, a PE ratio of 11.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.98. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $113.44 and a 200-day moving average of $113.08. 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 Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a one year low of $85.34 and a one year high of $124.90.

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.