Insider Selling: The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Director Sells $217,092.00 in Stock

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) Director Jane Carlin sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.91, for a total transaction of $217,092.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,423 shares in the company, valued at approximately $438,344.93. This represents a 33.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Up 0.6%

NYSE THG traded up $1.05 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $181.68. The company had a trading volume of 308,816 shares, compared to its average volume of 373,990. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $175.74 and its 200 day moving average is $177.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.44 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $147.76 and a fifty-two week high of $188.18. The company has a market capitalization of $6.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.31.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The insurance provider reported $5.46 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.00% and a net margin of 10.05%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is 20.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on THG. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $200.60.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $83,817,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 36.1% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,280,418 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $217,505,000 after acquiring an additional 339,896 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 37.8% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 763,431 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $137,967,000 after acquiring an additional 209,616 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 44.1% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 646,910 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $118,236,000 after purchasing an additional 197,930 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 206.0% during the third quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 292,121 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $53,058,000 after purchasing an additional 196,655 shares during the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hanover Insurance Group Company Profile

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc (NYSE: THG) is a property and casualty insurance company that provides a range of commercial and personal insurance products. Through its subsidiary companies, Hanover offers coverage for businesses of all sizes, including workers’ compensation, general liability, commercial auto, and professional liability. On the personal lines side, the company underwrites homeowners, personal auto, flood, and umbrella policies designed to meet the needs of individuals and families.

In addition to its core commercial and personal insurance offerings, Hanover maintains a specialty arm that focuses on niche markets through tailored product solutions.