The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) EVP Willard Lee Sells 9,946 Shares of Company Stock

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) EVP Willard Lee sold 9,946 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.14, for a total transaction of $2,477,946.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,004 shares in the company, valued at $1,495,836.56. This represents a 62.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

NYSE THG opened at $248.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $166.54 and a 1 year high of $256.74. The company has a market capitalization of $8.56 billion, a PE ratio of 11.91 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a fifty day moving average of $228.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $201.64.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The insurance provider reported $5.15 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.62 by $0.53. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion for 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.09 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 20.80 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is 18.17%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $235.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $260.00 price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Finally, Citizens Jmp raised their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $235.00.

Institutional Trading of The Hanover Insurance Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $756,471,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings 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 during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.2% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 827,320 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $143,416,000 after purchasing an additional 25,945 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the second quarter worth $69,481,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the second quarter worth $47,734,000. 86.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Hanover Insurance Group Company 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.