The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG Shares Sold by ProShare Advisors LLC

ProShare Advisors LLC lessened its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 12.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 128,450 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 18,222 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC owned about 0.37% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $27,504,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vise Technologies Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 8.1% during the third quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 5,331 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,141,000 after purchasing an additional 399 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 66.5% during the third quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 631 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $135,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 222.2% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 10,654 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,281,000 after purchasing an additional 7,347 shares during the last quarter. Parcion Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 33.2% in the third quarter. Parcion Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,548 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 7.1% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,103 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $450,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on THG. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $235.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $260.00 price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday. Citizens Jmp boosted their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy (a)” rating to a “buy (a+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $235.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, EVP Dennis Kerrigan sold 2,104 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.41, for a total value of $467,950.64. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 12,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,669,587.23. This trade represents a 14.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.80% of the company’s stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

Shares of THG opened at $241.75 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $166.54 and a 1 year high of $242.54. The stock has a market cap of $8.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.56 and a beta of 0.24. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $226.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $200.05.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The insurance provider reported $5.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.62 by $0.53. The company had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.63% and a net margin of 10.97%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $5.09 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 20.52 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th were paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.17%.

The Hanover Insurance Group News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting The Hanover Insurance Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted earnings were $5.15 per share, exceeding consensus estimates of $4.62, while earnings also improved from $5.09 in the year-ago quarter. The earnings beat supports confidence in THG’s profitability and helped reinforce recent stock momentum. Hanover Insurance Group Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects the full-year combined ratio to clearly outperform its original guidance, indicating stronger-than-anticipated underwriting performance. Although the company anticipates a 5.2% catastrophe load in the fourth quarter, the improved full-year outlook is a favorable signal for investors. Hanover Outlines Q4 Catastrophe Load and Full-Year Combined Ratio Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Citizens JMP raised its price target from $240 to $250 and assigned a “market outperform” rating, implying additional upside from the stock’s current level. Citizens JMP THG Recommendation
• Positive Sentiment: RBC increased its target from $235 to $245 while maintaining a “sector perform” rating, reflecting a modestly higher valuation view despite a neutral stance. Royal Bank of Canada THG Recommendation
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue of $1.74 billion fell short of the $1.81 billion analyst estimate, and reported profit declined according to some coverage, tempering the otherwise strong earnings reaction. The Hanover Insurance Group Reports Sales Below Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $230 to $235 but retained an “equal weight” rating; the revised target remains below the current share price, signaling limited near-term upside in its view. Morgan Stanley THG Recommendation

The Hanover Insurance Group Profile

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc is a holding company that provides property and casualty insurance products and services through a network of independent agents. Its principal operating subsidiary is The Hanover Insurance Company, which traces its roots to 1852 and is headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The company offers personal insurance products such as automobile, homeowners, condominium, renters and umbrella coverage. Its commercial insurance business serves small and midsize businesses with products that include commercial property, general liability, commercial automobile, workers’ compensation and other specialized coverages.

The Hanover also provides specialty insurance solutions for select industries and risks, including professional liability, management liability, marine and other niche commercial exposures.