Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC Grows Holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC grew its position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 41.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 43,208 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,602 shares during the period. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC’s holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $9,252,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $756,471,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted 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 worth $217,505,000 after purchasing an additional 339,896 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 16.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 970,177 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $168,179,000 after purchasing an additional 136,998 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 24.9% in the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 953,781 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $174,322,000 after purchasing an additional 190,350 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.2% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 827,320 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $143,416,000 after buying an additional 25,945 shares in the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Dennis Francis Kerrigan sold 6,551 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.79, for a total transaction of $1,446,395.29. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 12,003 shares in the company, valued at $2,650,142.37. This trade represents a 35.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,000 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.50, for a total transaction of $231,500.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,270 shares in the company, valued at approximately $525,505. The trade was a 30.58% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 9,655 shares of company stock worth $2,145,846 over the last quarter. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE THG opened at $227.73 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $7.93 billion, a PE ratio of 10.87 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $166.54 and a 12-month high of $236.07. The company has a 50-day moving average of $219.90 and a 200 day moving average of $195.36.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The insurance provider reported $5.31 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.84 by $1.47. The business had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.35 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 20.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, May 13th that allows the company to buyback $700.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the insurance provider to buy up to 10.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on THG. Oppenheimer increased their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (a)” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Friday, July 10th. BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $194.00 to $203.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $220.00 to $222.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Hanover Insurance Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $225.71.

The Hanover Insurance Group 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.