Most readers would already be aware that Hartford Insurance Group's (NYSE:HIG) stock increased significantly by 16% over the past month. Given the company's impressive performance, we decided to study its financial indicators more closely as a company's financial health over the long-term usually dictates market outcomes. Specifically, we decided to study Hartford Insurance Group's  ROE in this article.

ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.

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How To Calculate Return On Equity?

Return on equity can be calculated by using the formula:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Hartford Insurance Group is:

18% = US$3.0b ÷ US$17b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2025).

The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated $0.18 in profit.

See our latest analysis for Hartford Insurance Group

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. Assuming all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features.

Hartford Insurance Group's Earnings Growth And 18% ROE

To start with, Hartford Insurance Group's ROE looks acceptable. Further, the company's ROE compares quite favorably to the industry average of 13%. This certainly adds some context to Hartford Insurance Group's decent 11% net income growth seen over the past five years.

As a next step, we compared Hartford Insurance Group's net income growth with the industry and found that the company has a similar growth figure when compared with the industry average growth rate of 13% in the same period.NYSE:HIG Past Earnings Growth May 9th 2025

The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Is Hartford Insurance Group fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Story Continues

Is Hartford Insurance Group Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

In Hartford Insurance Group's case, its respectable earnings growth can probably be explained by its low three-year median payout ratio of 22% (or a retention ratio of 78%), which suggests that the company is investing most of its profits to grow its business.

Besides, Hartford Insurance Group has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders. Our latest analyst data shows that the future payout ratio of the company over the next three years is expected to be approximately 18%. Accordingly, forecasts suggest that Hartford Insurance Group's future ROE will be 18% which is again, similar to the current ROE.

Summary

In total, we are pretty happy with Hartford Insurance Group's performance. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business, and at a high rate of return. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an impressive earnings growth. Having said that, the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down, as forecasted in the current analyst estimates. To know more about the latest analysts predictions for the company, check out this visualization of analyst forecasts for the company.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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