Hartford FINL SVCS GRP (WKN: 898521) / NYSE

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/...d-Lincoln-National-apf-14021013.html

Hartford, Lincoln National closer to bailout funds
Government allows Hartford, Lincoln National to buy thrifts to qualify for bailout funds

   * Marcy Gordon, AP Business Writer
   * Friday January 9, 2009, 6:27 pm EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal regulators will allow two large insurance companies to buy thrifts so they can qualify to receive money from the government's financial rescue program.

The Office of Thrift Supervision, a Treasury Department agency, said Friday that it approved applications from Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. and Lincoln National Corp. to acquire existing savings and loans and become thrift holding companies.

Insurance companies that own thrifts, which are federally regulated, are eligible to apply for a piece of the $700 billion in government bailout funds.

Hartford Financial, based in Hartford, Conn., has said it expects to be eligible for between $1.1 billion and $3.4 billion in rescue money. The company previously agreed to buy Federal Trust Bank for about $10 million and to inject an undisclosed amount of new capital into the federally chartered savings bank. Federal Trust Bank, now owned by Sanford, Fla.-based Federal Trust Corp., operates 11 branches in Florida.

Philadelphia-based Lincoln National is looking to buy Newton County Loan & Savings, based in Goodland, Ind.

Shannon Lapierre, a spokeswoman for Hartford, said the company was pleased to have received the government approval. Spokesmen for Lincoln National didn't immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Friday evening.

Hartford and Lincoln National are among four insurance companies that applied to the thrift agency in mid-November. The other two were Genworth Financial Inc. and Aegon NV, a Dutch company that owns U.S. insurer Transamerica.

Thrifts differ from banks in that, by law, they must have at least 65 percent of their lending in consumer loans such as mortgages. Insurance companies are mostly regulated at the state level, but insurers that become thrift holding companies are under federal supervision and thereby qualify for the government bailout money.

At least two dozen insurers currently own thrifts. Many insurers have been struggling amid the financial crisis and credit crunch. Like banks and other financial institutions, some insurance companies also bought subprime mortgage securities that turned sour.

A number of property-casualty insurers have said they aren't interested in participating in the bailout program. The industry appears to be split between life insurers, some of whom have previously expressed interest in participating in the program, and property-casualty companies.

The biggest U.S. insurance company, American International Group Inc., skirted collapse last fall when the government stepped in with a roughly $150 billion bailout package. The New York-based company was pushed to the financial brink by the huge volume of credit default swaps, instruments traded as bets against bond defaults, that it sold and by rising levels of defaulted mortgages and other debt.

http://www.ariva.de/...migt_Allianz_die_Hartford_Beteiligung_n2865160

DJ US-Notenbank Fed genehmigt Allianz die Hartford-Beteiligung

08:45 15.01.09

DJ US-Notenbank Fed genehmigt Allianz die Hartford-Beteiligung

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Die Allianz SE kann ihre Beteiligung an dem US-Wettbewerber Hartford Financial Services Group Inc auch nach dessen Umwandlung in eine Geschäftsbank (savings and loan association) behalten. Dies entschied die US-Notenbank am Mittwoch. Die Allianz SE, München, hält den Angaben zufolge 23,7% der Stimmrechte an Hartford.

Mit der Umwandlung in eine Geschäftsbank will sich Hartford Financial Zugang zum TARP-Rettungspaket der US-Regierung für die Banken verschaffen. Dazu hat die US-Investment- und Versicherungsgesellschaft aus Connecticut Mitte November die in Florida ansässige Sparkasse Federal Trust übernommen.

Bereits im Oktober war der deutsche Versicherungskonzern für insgesamt 2,5 Mrd USD bei Hartford Financial eingestiegen. Allianz-Vorstandsvorsitzender Michael Diekmann führte seinerzeit an, er erwarte eine positive Rendite durch das Hartford-Investment. The Hartford sei eine starke Versicherungsmarke.

Genehmigt wurde diese Beteiligung jetzt von Notenbank als Bankenaufsicht, weil das Investment der Allianz bei Hartford nicht der Ausübung einer Kontrolle diene.


Webseiten: http://www.allianz.de/ http://www.thehartford.com/ http://www.federalreserve.gov/

-Von Meena Thiruvengadam, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 (0)69 - 29725 103, unternehmen.de@dowjones.com DJG/DJN/bam/rio Besuchen Sie unsere neue Webseite http://www.dowjones.de



January 15, 2009 02:12 ET (07:12 GMT)

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/...ice-by-disability-insurers-004.htm

28.01.2009 14:26
The Hartford Earns High Satisfaction Scores In Independent Research On Service by Disability Insurers

Employers extol insurer’s ease of doing business, expertise and responsiveness

According to research from an independent researcher, a vast majority of group disability insurance clients are very satisfied with service by The Hartford Financial Services Group, (News) Inc. (NYSE: HIG), one of the nation’s largest diversified financial services companies.

More than 84 percent of group disability clients reported that they are ”extremely” or ”very satisfied” with The Hartford’s service, particularly with providing products that meet their needs and responsiveness, according to a recent survey conducted by JHA, a leader in disability reinsurance, consulting and research. In addition, the vast majority ”strongly agreed” or ”agreed” with the statement that The Hartford is easy to do business with. The dissatisfaction rate with The Hartford’s overall service was zero percent.

JHA conducted a survey last fall measuring the account management, administration, claims management, and communications of disability insurance carriers. The Hartford’s customer satisfaction and agreement ratings exceeded the industry average in several areas:

   * Easy to do business with (93 percent agreed with this statement)
   * Providing timely customer service (92 percent agreement)
   * Ability to answer questions (91 percent satisfaction)
   * Timeliness of responding to inquiries (89 percent satisfaction)
   * Delivering on their promises (87 percent agreement)

”JHA’s research highlights The Hartford’s culture of service excellence - a dedication to consistently delivering an exceptional customer experience,” said Harry Monti, senior vice president, operations and service, The Hartford’s Employer Markets Group, a leading provider of group disability insurance. ”We are committed to providing unequaled expertise, superior service, and innovative products that meet our customers’ needs while removing the burden from benefits administration.”

Noting the timing of the survey, Monti added, ”Our high satisfaction scores show The Hartford keeps its promise of helping clients protect their health and wealth, even during turbulent times. And we’ll be there for them tomorrow.”

The JHA survey echoes The Hartford’s own research on customer satisfaction. Eighty-two percent of employer clients rated The Hartford as ”excellent” or ”very good” for overall quality of service in a survey conducted by Abt SRBI for the insurer in 2008. In addition, 92 percent of disability claimants reported they were ”completely” or ”mostly satisfied” with The Hartford’s overall service quality, according to a separate survey conducted by the Bourget Research Group for The Hartford last year.

What sets The Hartford’s claims service apart, said Monti, is an Ability Philosophy - a focus on abilities, not perceived limitations - that defines all of its products and services, including a specialized team of clinical professionals who facilitate disabled employees’ safe return to the workplace.

”The Hartford’s Ability Philosophy helps businesses retain productive employees and individuals return to active, productive lives following a disability,” Monti said.

Further evidence of the company’s commitment to customer service excellence, The Hartford recently earned seven 2008 DALBAR Awards for customer service of investment products, retirement plans, and life insurance, as well as its 10th consecutive Operations Management Roundtable service award.

About The Hartford

The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services companies, with 2007 revenues of $25.9 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

HIG-L

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

Contacts:

The Hartford
Kelly J. Carter, 860-843-9420
Kelly.carter@hartfordlife.com
or
David Potter, 860-843-8993
david.potter1@hartfordlife.com

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/...-with-obama-administration-004.htm

28.01.2009 17:08
The Hartford’s Neal S. Wolin Accepts Position With Obama Administration

The Hartford Financial Services Group, (News) Inc. (NYSE: HIG), today announced that Neal Wolin, president and chief operating officer of the company’s Property and Casualty Operations, has accepted a position in the White House as Deputy Counsel to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy Assistant to the President.

”President Obama is building an outstanding economic team to address the many complex challenges facing the nation and our financial system,” said Ramani Ayer, chairman and chief executive officer. ”We recognize the unique call to service this presents for Neal and wish him all the best in his return to Washington. For nearly eight years, Neal has been both a wonderful colleague and an outstanding leader for The Hartford and we are of course disappointed with this news. That said, we are fortunate to have a strong and experienced property and casualty team to continue the excellent work underway.”

”It has been an extraordinary privilege to be a part of The Hartford’s leadership team and the company’s nearly 200-year history,” said Wolin. ”I have great confidence in the future of the property and casualty operations and have no doubt that the strategies and initiatives we have put in place effectively position the business for success. Given the importance of the issues facing the country, there is no greater honor than being called to serve. I am looking forward to being part of the President’s team of advisors in this most challenging period.”

Wolin joined The Hartford in 2001 as executive vice president and general counsel. He was promoted to president and chief operating officer of the company’s Property and Casualty Operations in June 2007. Prior to joining The Hartford, he served in several positions in the U.S. Government, including General Counsel of the Department of the Treasury, Executive Assistant to the National Security Advisor and as Deputy Legal Adviser to the National Security Council. Wolin earned his J.D. from Yale Law School, his M.Sc. in Development Economics from the University of Oxford and his bachelor’s degree from Yale University.

In conjunction with this announcement, The Hartford named two of its senior property and casualty executives, Juan Andrade and Jonathan Bennett, as interim co-leads of the Property and Casualty Operations. Andrade and Bennett will report to The Hartford’s president and chief operating officer Tom Marra. A search for Wolin’s successor is underway.

Juan Andrade is currently executive vice president of sales and distribution for Property and Casualty. He joined The Hartford in 2006 when he assumed leadership of the P&C claims organization. Prior to joining The Hartford, Andrade held several leadership positions with The Progressive Corporation, and also held management positions with American International Group (AIG). Andrade earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in International Economics and Latin American Studies from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

Jonathan Bennett is currently executive vice president of personal lines and small business insurance. Bennett joined The Hartford in 1999 as staff assistant to Ramani Ayer. He has since served in several leadership roles at the company, including vice president of corporate development, head of the eBusiness Ventures Team, and senior vice president of product management for the personal lines division. He was promoted to his current role in 2005. Before joining The Hartford, Bennett was with CIGNA, leading institutional fund strategy and marketing for the individual insurance division and as a product manager for corporate-owned life insurance. Prior to CIGNA, Bennett was with Arthur Andersen LLP. Bennett is a graduate of Connecticut College and earned a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Hartford. He is a certified public accountant.

About The Hartford

The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest financial services companies, with 2007 revenues of $25.9 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

HIG-F

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

Contacts:

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
Media Contact(s):
Shannon Lapierre, 860-547-5624
Shannon.Lapierre@thehartford.com
or
Dave Snowden, 860-547-3397
David.snowden@thehartford.com
or
Investor Contact(s):
Rick Costello, 860-547-8480
Richard.Costello@thehartford.com
or
JR Reilly, 860-547-9140
Jr.reilly@thehartford.com

http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/commentary/...vations.aspx?ID=90897

Hartford Financial Services

Hartford Financial Services (HIG: View sentiment for HIGsentiment, chart, options) was the subject of a bullish write-up in Barron's over the weekend, with the financial publication calling the shares a "compelling buy." The insurance stock has been hammered to a loss of 84% during the past 52 weeks, but the article notes that most of that price plunge is the market's reaction to theoretical losses on bonds backing some of Hartford's policies.

Since the security's decline has been largely panic-based, says Barron's, the steep sell-off in HIG simply leaves the shares looking rather cheap. According to this upbeat article, Hartford could jump from its perch in the low teens to trade as high as the 40s "in a year, assuming that the company incurs no more major earnings charges."

The author does admit that the "shares aren't riskless," which seems like an understatement after reviewing the charts. There are numerous technical hurdles blocking HIG's path higher, including its 10-week and 20-week moving averages, along with the round-number 20 region. Additionally, the write-up cautions that a rebound in HIG would be contingent upon a return to normalcy in equities and bond markets, which doesn't seem to be on the horizon just yet.

Despite lingering threats to its performance, HIG is already catching a lift from the Barron's endorsement. Ahead of the open, the equity is up more than 6%.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/...ord-financial-services?source=feed

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/...and-full-year-2008-results-004.htm

05.02.2009 23:24
The Hartford Announces Fourth Quarter And Full Year 2008 Results

The Hartford Financial Services Group, (News) Inc. (NYSE: HIG):

   * Core insurance-based businesses perform well
   * Finishes 2008 well capitalized
   * Capital preservation and risk mitigation key focuses for 2009
   * Intends to reduce quarterly dividend to $0.05

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) today reported a fourth quarter 2008 net loss of $806 million, or $2.71 per diluted share. The Hartford’s net income in the fourth quarter of 2007 was $595 million, or $1.88 per diluted share. For full year 2008, The Hartford reported a net loss of $2.7 billion, or $8.99 per diluted share, compared with net income of $2.9 billion, or $9.24 per diluted share, in 2007.


(voller Bericht - siehe LINK)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/...Financial-guidance-apf-14273620.html

Hartford Financial guidance mostly below estimates
Hartford Financial issues 2009 earnings guidance mostly below Wall Street's estimates

   * Thursday February 5, 2009, 7:36 pm EST

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. on Thursday issued 2009 earnings guidance mostly below Wall Street's expectations.

The financial services company expects core earnings between $5.80 and $6.20 per share.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, on average, expect full-year earnings of $6.08 per share.

The guidance assumes a pretax underwriting loss of $160 million from other operations in property and casualty, the company said.

Hartford said that the ongoing financial crisis increases the likelihood that its guidance will turn out to be incorrect.

http://www.smartmoney.com/investing/stocks/...inst-disaster/?cid=1122

The Hartford: Hedged Against Disaster
Published February 5, 2009

WANT TO MAKE A LEVERED BET on a recovery in the bond market? For those willing to take some risk, there are few better bets than buying the stock of Hartford Financial Services Group .

Hartford's stock has been trampled in the past four months, plunging from more than 60 to a low of just over 4 in late November, largely as a result of unrealized losses on bonds in the $89 billion general account that backs its life-insurance and property-and-casualty policies. Its shares have since limped back to around 13.

As risk spreads soared and its mark-to-market bond prices dropped in the fall, Hartford saw its unrealized gross bond losses jump from $700 million on Dec. 31, 2007, to $11.6 billion as of the end of October, the latest month for which figures have been disclosed. (The numbers were reported at the company's December Investor Day meeting.)

Largely as a result of these losses -- which are theoretical unless the bonds are actually sold -- the big insurer's net worth, under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), crumpled to $12.6 billion. That gave the company a book value of $41.80 a share at the end of September, down from $19.2 billion, or $61.20 a share at the end of 2007. Moreover, book value is believed to have slid further as a result of the bond mayhem in the fourth quarter; it now could be about $30 a share. The company will release fourth-quarter earnings this week.

Even with all of this, the Hartford, as the company is known, seems to be a compelling buy. That is our conclusion after closely inspecting information released by company executives at the December Investor Day. (Hartford Financial officials were unavailable for comment last week because of a quiet period before this Thursday's scheduled profit report.) Among other things, the insurer's executives talked of a springback potential in book value once bond prices recover from current panic levels.

The Hartford's bond holdings are largely of high quality, with a negligible default risk. As for impairment risk, company officials have put that at less than 15% of its $11.6 billion unrealized loss portfolio, even under severe economic conditions. And if it were necessary to take charges on these securities, they would be incurred over several years.

A return to more normal conditions in the bond market won't boost Hartford's net worth back to year-end 2007's $61.20 a share. The company has had to take too many earnings write-downs in the past three quarters, including $3.5 billion in after-tax asset-impairment charges and a charge of nearly $1 billion resulting from a shortfall in the expected results of its variable-annuity business, owing to stock-market declines. Offsetting these negatives somewhat was a largely undilutive $2.5 billion infusion of new capital into Hartford by Allianz (ALV.Germany) in October. In return, the German insurer got debt and preferred shares.

Yet a return in book value to $50 a share in the next year or two is possible, particularly if Washington's push to boost the capital coursing through U.S. financial markets and bolster asset prices finally bears fruit. Likewise, earnings should stabilize after a horrid third-quarter loss of $2.6 billion, largely the result of bond- and stock-market losses hitting life-insurance results and Hurricane Ike hurting property-and-casualty earnings.

MORGAN STANLEY ANALYST NIGEL DAILY foresees Hartford Financial generating operating earnings of $5.40 a share in 2009 and $5.95 in 2010. His estimates are below the consensus forecasts, which contain a lot of stale assumptions. Nonetheless, Daily indicated in a recent report, the stock looks dirt cheap, and he later raised his one-year price target to 25. Based on his 2009 estimate, Hartford trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of just under 2.5 times. And the stock fetches less than half our conservative year-end book-value estimate of $30 a share.

The Morgan Stanley analyst further asserts that, when the equity and credit markets improve, Hartford's P/E multiple could jump. Historically, the Connecticut-based insurer has traded at an average of 10 times earnings and 1.4 times book value. If it gained back most of that valuation, shares could be changing hands in the 40s. In fact, that price could be attained in a year, assuming that the company incurs no more major earnings charges. A return of book value to 50 in the next year or two could send the shares even higher. One shouldn't forget that the Hartford traded at nearly 100 just 13 months ago.

In December, Hartford Financial officials insisted that the capital-depleting $11.6 billion in mark-to-market hits that they had been forced to take for 2008's first 10 months were largely a function of illiquidity and panic in the credit markets, rather than any fundamental problems with their investment portfolio. For example, the current prices of commercial mortgage-backed securities imply a 70% decline in commercial real-estate values and a default rate more than seven times as great as any sustained during the other commercial real-estate busts of the past 25 years. Hartford Financial has $11.2 billion, or 13%, of its portfolio in commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS). At the same time, the valuation gap between corporate bonds and U.S. Treasuries has become a canyon. It is so wide that the implied cumulative losses on, say, triple-B corporates range from 25% to 30%, versus actual cumulative losses around 5% during the five worst years of the Great Depression. Corporate debt accounts for 33%, or $30 billion, of the Hartford's investments.

Adding to the perceived weakness has been the company's rigor in taking permanent securities charge-offs, after subjecting its unrealized-loss portfolio to tough tests. Unlike unrealized losses, these hit not only GAAP book values, but also reported earnings.

For its structured securitizations, like those backed by commercial mortgages and other asset-backed securities, the company first makes draconian assumptions about the economy's future, against which it tests its portfolio's viability. Among them: a 10% jobless rate, a 30% drop in commercial real-estate values, a 40% drop in home prices and other economic misery.

As far as straight corporate and real- estate debt goes, the company permanently impairs any security that shows scant prospect of recovering over the next two years. This latter standard is more onerous than those followed by most of the Hartford's competitors, but it is being scrapped for fourth-quarter 2008 results.

All this isn't to say that Hartford Financial is a paragon of financial virtue. It certainly ventured into some dicey areas, including the aforementioned $11.2 billion in commercial mortgage-backed securities, $2.5 billion in subprime debt and $8.4 billion in fixed-income and equity exposure to financial-services companies. But most of its holdings in these securities remain highly rated, even after the rating agencies have finally laid waste to most vintages of similar securities. Likewise, the company's tsunami of charge-offs seems to have peaked in 2008's third quarter, when capital losses reached a sickening $2.2 billion. The Hartford expects fourth-quarter after-tax impairments of $250 million to $400 million.

The collapse of the shares of the Hartford and other life insurers began in earnest in October and worsened in November. With the demise of the credit market, some investors feared the heavy hits on insurers' bond holdings would leave the companies unable to meet their insurance obligations. Another worry was that major sellers of variable annuities would be savaged. Such annuities (Hartford Financial has $124 billion of them outstanding) combine aspects of mutual funds and life insurance. In recent years, amid fierce competition, sellers frequently have offered buyers guaranteed minimum monthly benefits that, Wall Street fears, could be difficult to honor, given the stock market's fall.

If all this weren't enough, a Nov. 11 report by Goldman Sachs analyst Christopher Neczypor sent insurance stocks into free fall. He initiated coverage of the industry by slapping Sells on most major players.

The Hartford led off an industry counterattack at its Dec. 5 Investor Day. No, the company maintained, it has no major capital issues that would stop it from honoring all claims or lead to a credit downgrade of its life-insurance operation. Its property-and-casualty unit had $1.1 billion in excess capital that could be infused into the life company. And the parent company has $2.4 billion in unused credit and contingent-capital facilities that could be downstreamed.

Perhaps most reassuring, executives said they had enjoyed better-than-projected performance on their hedges, thus reducing the impact of tumbling stock prices. Short of a slide in the Standard & Poor's 500 below 700 -- it is now around 800 -- no capital infusions would be necessary.

Certainly, the Hartford's shares aren't riskless. The insurer's normalized earnings power of around $10 a share will remain tantalizingly beyond reach for at least several years without a startling rally in both the U.S. stock and bond markets. But the battered shares could double or even triple in the interim.

http://www.ariva.de/...nach_Ergebniseinbruch_Dividende_um_84_n2884811

DJ Hartford Financial kürzt nach Ergebniseinbruch Dividende um 84%

07:55 06.02.09

DJ Hartford Financial kürzt nach Ergebniseinbruch Dividende um 84%


NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Die Hartford Financial Services Group Inc will in Reaktion auf den Ergebniseinbruch im vierten Quartal ihre Quartalsdividende um 84% auf 0,05 USD je Anteil senken. Der Versicherungs- und Finanzdienstleister, an dem die deutsche Allianz mit 23,7% beteiligt ist, verbuchte im Schlussquartal einen Fehlbetrag von 806 Mio USD bzw 2,71 USD je Aktie, nachdem im Vorjahr noch ein Gewinn von 595 Mio USD bzw 1,88 USD erzielt worden war. Im jüngsten Resultat sind nach Angaben von Hartford vom späten Donnerstag Abschreibungen von 597 Mio USD enthalten.

Der Kurs reagierte auf die schlechter als erwartet ausgefallenen Zahlen mit einem Rückgang im nachbörslichen Handel bis 20 Uhr Ortszeit um 21,1% auf 11,90 USD. Seit April hat die Aktie 84% eingebüßt, gegenüber ihrem Rekordtief von 4,16 USD am 21. November hat sie sich inzwischen allerdings deutlich erholt.

CEO Ramani Ayer beurteilte 2008 als das eindeutig schwierigste Jahr in der knapp 200-jährigen Geschichte des Unternehmens. Das Augenmerk will der Konzern nun auf Kapitalerhaltung und Risikominderung legen.

Die Allianz SE, München, hatte sich den Einstieg bei Hartford im Herbst 2008 rund 2,5 Mrd USD kosten lassen.


Webseite: http://www.thehartford.com Von Kathy Shwiff, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 (0)69-29725 103, unternehmen.de@dowjones.com DJG/DJN/bam/brb Besuchen Sie unsere neue Webseite http://www.dowjones.de

Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. Q4 2008 Earnings Call Transcript

February 06, 2009
http://seekingalpha.com/article/...rnings-call-transcript?source=feed

http://www.cnbc.com/id/29068354

Treasury Still Honing Wide-Ranging Financial Aid Plan

...If the Treasury does take such a step with insurance companies, Genworth Financial, Lincoln National and Hartford Financial Services Group would be first, according to the source. ...

Bin auch wieder dabei seit gestern...nebenbei noch in BAC und FITB eingestiegen  

Moin _bbb_ - hab es gestern schon gelesen, dass du eingestiegen bist!
Ich bin noch immer unverändert drinnen, da ich dies hier langfristig laufen lasse, da mMn die alten Höchststände irgendwann wieder erreicht werden können...

in diesem Sinne WELCOME BACK    ax

The Hartford’s Tom Marra To Retire
Date : 02/25/2009 @ 8:48AM
Source : Business Wire
Stock : The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (HIG)
Quote :  8.01  0.0 (0.00%) @ 8:33AM


The Hartford’s Tom Marra To Retire





The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) today announced that Thomas M. Marra, the company’s president and chief operating officer, will retire, effective July 3, 2009. The Hartford also announced that Marra has resigned from the company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately.


“Tom has been a dedicated and committed executive of The Hartford for nearly 29 years and has made substantial contributions to this organization over that time,” said Ramani Ayer, The Hartford’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Tom drove the expansion and growth of our life business, significantly diversifying The Hartford’s operations. As a result, The Hartford succeeded in achieving key leadership roles in significant markets. We thank Tom for his service to the company and we wish him well in all his future endeavors.”

Ayer will now directly oversee The Hartford’s property and casualty and life operations.


“The Hartford has been my home for 29 years and I have personally benefitted from the many people I have been fortunate enough to work with,” said Marra. “From a business perspective, the timing is right. The new reporting structure will allow for more streamlined and decisive management and enable The Hartford to continue meeting the challenges of this dynamic, turbulent market.”

About The Hartford

The Hartford is one of the nation's largest financial services companies and a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.


HIG-F

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/...225005691&newsLang=en  

Bin auch mit dabei!
Mal schaun wo wir heute hindrehen, vielleicht packen wir ja
die 8 Dollar.

n.t.  

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/...p-inc-and-its-subsidiaries-004.htm  

http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=871688  

http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=871688

Hartford Financial reportedly in talks to sell life insurance unit to Sun Life

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG:  News ), a provider of insurance and financial services, is in discussions to sell most of its unprofitable life insurance unit to Canada's Sun Life Financial Inc. (SLF, SLF.TO), Bloomberg reported quoting three people with knowledge of the matter.

The report further added that breaking the company into two and selling most of the life division, which has $247.9 billion of assets, is among the options being discussed. The company had previously held talks with MetLife Inc. (MET), which ended last month, Bloomberg added.

... (weiter siehe LINK)

CORRECT(2/27): Allianz CEO: Good Upside For Hartford Invest
Date : 03/06/2009 @ 7:20AM
Source : Dow Jones News
Stock : Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG)
Quote :  3.88  -0.25 (-6.05%) @ 10:58AM


CORRECT(2/27): Allianz CEO: Good Upside For Hartford Invest





("Allianz CEO Sees "Good Upside" For Hartford Investment," published 1111 GMT on Feb. 27, misstated whose investment it was in the second paragraph. The correct version follows.)

MUNICH -(Dow Jones)- Allianz SE (AZ) Chief Executive Michael Diekmann Friday defended the insurer's $2.5 billion investment in a 23.7% stake in U.S. insurance and financial-services company Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG) last year.

"We see good upside for our investment," Diekmann told investors.

He said that "the timing of the investment doesn't look good," but noted that the entire U.S. insurance market "is getting repositioned," that the market capitalization lost by large U.S. players "leaves a lot of opportunities for those who survived the shakeout," and that Hartford "is one of the very strong operators."

Hartford's stock price has fallen some 84% since April but has more than tripled since its all-time low of $4.16 Nov. 21.

Hartford said Feb. 5 it intends to cut its quarterly dividend by 84% to $0.05 as it swung to a fourth-quarter loss on investment losses.

Hartford reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $806 million, or $2.71 a share, compared with year-earlier net profit of $595 million, or $1.88 a share.

The latest results included a $597 million write-down of goodwill in the corporate and annuity segments.

Company Web site: www.allianz.com

-By Ulrike Dauer, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 69 29725 500; ulrike.dauer@dowjones.com  

will in der heutigen Zeit sowieso keiner hören....

Kurshalbierung in 5 Börsentage... krank

Noch nicht mal 2,8 EUR..!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Dow dreht gerade von 6500 wieder auf 6550... wenn wir wieder die 6600 nehmen steht die wieder bei 3 EUR. Das ist ne Volatilität, da braucht man echt Baldrian...

Wenn die Montag bei 2,50-2,60 EUR steht kaufe ich mal 500 fürs erste....

 

Verleumdung und gebashe ggüber HIG und div. User

...schau dir einfach den Gesamtmarkt an, dann weißt du warum sämtliche Aktien -  ob BIGBOARDS oder PENNYs/PINK etc. seit Wochen fast nur eine Richtung kennen...

PS: ich zocke nich, sondern lege in den BIGBOARDS langfristig an - und damit, JA ich bin weiterhin in meinen Aktien investiert!

(komisch nur, dass seit dein Steckenpferd GNTA auch nur die negative Richtung kannte, du dort nicht mehr gepostet hast - ganz schwaches KINO!! s)

und damit FRIENDS wieder auf IGNORE...

da durch den User FRIENDS im zweiten, von ihm eröffneten Thread für diese Woche ein Wochenschluss-Kurs von 2.50 USD vorausgesagt wird/wurde - ist es mir ein pers. Bedürfniss, in dieser Woche tgl. die US-Schlusskurse einzustellen:

MONTAG, den 09.03.2009 ( 4:00 P.M.  ET  ) : 4.10 USD (+0.48 USD / + 13.26%)