Hartford Financial Services Group's (NYSE:HIG) short interest has increased by 17.27% since the last report, with 4.20 million shares sold short, representing 1.63% of its float. The current short interest suggests a bearish market sentiment towards HIG, although it has less short interest compared to its peers' average of 1.73%. The article highlights the importance of short interest as a market sentiment indicator and suggests that an increase in short interest does not necessarily predict a decline in stock price.