William Blair Investment Management LLC Purchases New Position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

William Blair Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 139,892 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $25,409,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.39% of The Hanover Insurance Group at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $77,169,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 36.1% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,280,418 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $217,505,000 after buying an additional 339,896 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. lifted 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 buying an additional 193,000 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 21.0% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 553,815 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $93,190,000 after buying an additional 96,006 shares during the period. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the second quarter valued at $16,217,000. 86.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of THG opened at $181.68 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.44 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $147.76 and a 1-year high of $188.18. The company has a 50-day moving average of $175.66 and a 200 day moving average of $177.26.

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

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

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 $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is presently 20.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on THG shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of 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, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $200.60.

Insider Transactions at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.91, for a total transaction of $217,092.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,423 shares in the company, valued at $438,344.93. This represents a 33.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total transaction of $4,369,226.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 32,174 shares in the company, valued at $5,756,572.08. This trade represents a 43.15% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.