Vest Financial LLC Grows Stock Position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Vest Financial LLC grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 84.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 22,670 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 10,375 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC owned 0.06% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $4,118,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 75,356 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $12,801,000 after purchasing an additional 2,387 shares in the last quarter. Aviva PLC purchased a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $475,000. Boston Partners increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 141.4% during the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 34,882 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,925,000 after buying an additional 20,432 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 252.3% in the second quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 5,140 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $873,000 after buying an additional 3,681 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 1.5% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 114,356 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $19,426,000 after buying an additional 1,724 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE THG opened at $171.87 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $180.20 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $175.77. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $147.76 and a twelve month high of $188.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The company has a market capitalization of $6.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.94 and a beta of 0.33.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.79 by $1.30. The firm had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.72 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.73% and a net margin of 9.71%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.05 EPS. Research analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 12th. This is an increase from The Hanover Insurance Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.98%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $198.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. 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 price objective for the company. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $199.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Denise Lowsley sold 1,619 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $181.47, for a total value of $293,799.93. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,511 shares in the company, valued at approximately $637,141.17. The trade was a 31.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.