The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG Shares Sold by London Co. of Virginia

London Co. of Virginia decreased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 2.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 381,668 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 9,800 shares during the quarter. London Co. of Virginia’s holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $66,164,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in THG. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. McMillan Office Inc. purchased a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 69.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 237 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 146.2% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 256 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Up 1.6%

The Hanover Insurance Group stock opened at $217.64 on Friday. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $163.78 and a twelve month high of $225.29. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $203.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $185.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.95 and a beta of 0.28.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.14 by $1.11. The company had revenue of $1.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.58 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.55% and a net margin of 10.77%.The company’s revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.87 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 18.38 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 26th. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th were given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 12th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.12%.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on THG. Weiss Ratings upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Citizens Jmp raised their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $205.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Piper Sandler cut shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $220.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Hanover Insurance Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $218.29.

Insider Transactions at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, CEO John C. Roche sold 8,358 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.74, for a total transaction of $1,619,278.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 141,011 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,319,471.14. This represents a 5.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Denise Lowsley sold 4,175 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.73, for a total transaction of $800,472.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,883 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $744,487.59. This trade represents a 51.81% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 29,508 shares of company stock worth $5,704,651 over the last quarter. 2.80% of the stock is currently 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.