The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) EVP Sells $800,472.75 in Stock

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) EVP Denise Lowsley sold 4,175 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.73, for a total value of $800,472.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,883 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $744,487.59. The trade was a 51.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Denise Lowsley also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, May 8th, Denise Lowsley sold 1,062 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.43, for a total value of $200,112.66.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

NYSE:THG traded up $2.96 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $194.83. 308,406 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 329,519. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $178.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $177.85. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $160.70 and a 12 month high of $195.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.81 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.14 by $1.11. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.55% and a net margin of 10.77%.The firm had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 18.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio is 19.12%.

The Hanover Insurance Group declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, May 13th that permits the company to repurchase $700.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the insurance provider to buy up to 10.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 36.1% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,280,418 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $217,505,000 after buying an additional 339,896 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 970,177 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $168,179,000 after buying an additional 136,998 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 24.9% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 953,781 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $174,322,000 after buying an additional 190,350 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 827,320 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $143,416,000 after buying an additional 25,945 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 727,958 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $133,073,000 after buying an additional 29,870 shares in the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on THG. Zacks Research raised The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Citizens Jmp upped their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $203.60.

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.