The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.26 EPS

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The insurance provider reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.26, Zacks reports. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 11.62% and a return on equity of 20.35%.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Down 2.4 %

HIG stock opened at $111.51 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $32.33 billion, a PE ratio of 11.17, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.98. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a 1 year low of $85.34 and a 1 year high of $124.90. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $112.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $113.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on HIG. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $134.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $135.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $113.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $121.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.28.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Adin M. Tooker sold 6,865 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,021,972.80. This represents a 21.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company 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.