The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG Shares Sold by Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. decreased its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 62.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 164,710 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 272,720 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $28,552,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in THG. Pullen Investment Management LLC increased its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 1.2% in the first quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC now owns 14,605 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,532,000 after buying an additional 176 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 96.6% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 29,787 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,470,000 after acquiring an additional 14,633 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 21.6% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,277 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $233,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors increased its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 8.2% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 2,288 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $418,000 after acquiring an additional 173 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 72.5% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,795 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,059,000 after acquiring an additional 2,436 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, EVP Dennis Francis Kerrigan sold 6,262 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.99, for a total value of $1,208,503.38. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 11,988 shares in the company, valued at $2,313,564.12. This represents a 34.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO John C. Roche sold 8,358 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.74, for a total value of $1,619,278.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 141,011 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,319,471.14. The trade was a 5.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 29,508 shares of company stock valued at $5,704,651. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

Shares of THG opened at $201.66 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $188.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $180.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.06 billion, a PE ratio of 10.15 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $160.70 and a 52-week high of $203.17.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.14 by $1.11. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 10.77% and a return on equity of 21.55%. The firm had revenue of $1.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.87 EPS. The Hanover Insurance Group’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 18.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, May 13th that allows the company to repurchase $700.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the insurance provider to repurchase up to 10.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 26th. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 12th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.12%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on THG shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley set a $195.00 price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Citizens Jmp lifted their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Zacks Research raised The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $208.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and three have given 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 $207.00.

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.