The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG Stock Holdings Increased by Aptus Capital Advisors LLC

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 15.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 89,342 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,666 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC owned about 0.25% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $16,227,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 300.0% during the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 200 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in 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 during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $43,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $69,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 87.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 533 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $97,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Down 0.3%

The Hanover Insurance Group stock opened at $177.94 on Friday. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $147.76 and a 12 month high of $188.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The stock has a market cap of $6.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.79 and a beta of 0.31. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $175.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $177.41.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 20th. The insurance provider reported $5.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on THG. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased 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. Wall Street Zen downgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Monday, November 24th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Hanover Insurance Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $200.60.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 32,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,756,572.08. This trade represents a 43.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director owned 2,423 shares in the company, valued at $438,344.93. The trade was a 33.12% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 2.50% 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.