Richard Lavey Sells 24,420 Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Stock

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) EVP Richard Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total value 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. This represents a 43.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:THG opened at $176.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.27 billion, a PE ratio of 9.70 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $178.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $176.54. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $147.76 and a twelve month high of $188.18.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The insurance provider reported $5.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.20 by $0.59. The company had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.52 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 10.05% and a return on equity of 21.00%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $5.32 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 EPS for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This is an increase from The Hanover Insurance Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 12th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $198.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $199.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 36.1% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,280,418 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $217,505,000 after purchasing an additional 339,896 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 37.8% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 763,431 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $137,967,000 after buying an additional 209,616 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 16.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 639,890 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $116,223,000 after acquiring an additional 88,928 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 28.5% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 639,264 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $116,110,000 after acquiring an additional 141,835 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. grew its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 52.9% in the second quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 558,000 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $94,787,000 after acquiring an additional 193,000 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

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.