Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC Makes New $677,000 Investment in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 3,163 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $677,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Legato Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter valued at $1,238,000. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the fourth quarter worth $4,926,000. UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 58.7% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 149,300 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,288,000 after purchasing an additional 55,220 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter worth about $83,817,000. Finally, Dockside LLC bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group in the 4th quarter worth about $1,225,000. Institutional investors own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $215.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $220.00 to $222.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Citizens Jmp boosted their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $223.57.

Insider Activity at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, CEO John C. Roche sold 8,358 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.74, for a total transaction of $1,619,278.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 141,011 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,319,471.14. The trade was a 5.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Francisco Aristeguieta sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.37, for a total value of $195,370.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,053 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $791,834.61. The trade was a 19.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 16,620 shares of company stock valued at $3,254,652 over the last ninety days. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of THG opened at $221.63 on Tuesday. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $165.50 and a 1-year high of $236.07. The company has a market capitalization of $7.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.58 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.38 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $214.91 and its 200 day simple moving average is $192.13.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The insurance provider reported $5.31 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.84 by $1.47. The business had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 21.72%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.35 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 20.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 26th. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th were given a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 12th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is 18.14%.

The Hanover Insurance Group announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.