Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Sells 22,110 Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lowered its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 4.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 437,430 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 22,110 shares during the quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. owned 1.23% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $79,949,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in THG. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the third quarter worth $26,000. Community Bank N.A. bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 300.0% in the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 200 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 56.6% in the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 224 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $43,000. 86.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.60.

Insider Activity at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other news, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total transaction of $4,369,226.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 32,174 shares in the company, valued at $5,756,572.08. The trade was a 43.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.91, for a total value of $217,092.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,423 shares in the company, valued at approximately $438,344.93. This trade represents a 33.12% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE THG opened at $172.50 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company has a market capitalization of $6.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.49 and a beta of 0.31. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $147.76 and a 12 month high of $188.18. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $173.82 and a 200-day moving average of $177.01.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The insurance provider reported $5.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.00% and a net margin of 10.05%.The business had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 EPS for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.91%.

About The Hanover Insurance Group

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.