2,865 Shares in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG Acquired by Bedminster LLC

Bedminster LLC acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 2,865 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $524,000. The Hanover Insurance Group accounts for 0.5% of Bedminster LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in THG. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 36.1% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,280,418 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $217,505,000 after purchasing an additional 339,896 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 37.8% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 763,431 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $137,967,000 after purchasing an additional 209,616 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 206.0% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 292,121 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $53,058,000 after purchasing an additional 196,655 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 52.9% in the 2nd quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 558,000 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $94,787,000 after purchasing an additional 193,000 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 58.4% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 448,980 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $81,548,000 after purchasing an additional 165,496 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:THG opened at $191.90 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $178.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $177.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.66 and a beta of 0.31. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $160.70 and a 12-month high of $193.32. 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 (NYSE:THG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.87 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 18.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, May 13th that allows the company to repurchase $700.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the insurance provider to reacquire up to 10.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is presently 19.12%.

Insider Activity at The Hanover Insurance Group

In related news, Director Cynthia Egan sold 3,400 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.50, for a total value of $640,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 9,359 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,764,171.50. The trade was a 26.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Denise Lowsley sold 1,062 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.43, for a total transaction of $200,112.66. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,883 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $731,673.69. The trade was a 21.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 5,662 shares of company stock valued at $1,058,105. Insiders own 2.80% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on THG shares. Zacks Research raised shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Citizens Jmp lifted their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Morgan Stanley set a $195.00 target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Hanover Insurance Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $203.60.

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.