2,378 Shares in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG Bought by United Capital Financial Advisors LLC

United Capital Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 2,378 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $509,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of THG. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 19.1% in the first quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 343 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 5.5% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,127 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $195,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,880 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $344,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 2,026 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $370,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 12,020 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,183,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. 86.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

Shares of THG stock opened at $226.07 on Tuesday. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $166.54 and a 52-week high of $236.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.79 and a beta of 0.27. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $220.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $195.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.38.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The insurance provider reported $5.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.84 by $1.47. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 21.72%. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.35 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 20.17 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.14%.

The Hanover Insurance Group announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, May 13th that authorizes the company to buyback $700.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the insurance provider to reacquire up to 10.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

THG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Friday, July 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $220.00 to $222.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $194.00 to $203.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (a)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $225.71.

Insider Transactions at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.50, for a total value of $231,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,270 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $525,505. This represents a 30.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Dennis Francis Kerrigan sold 2,104 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.41, for a total transaction of $467,950.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 12,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,669,587.23. This represents a 14.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,655 shares of company stock valued at $2,145,846. 2.80% 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.