Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Has $79.95 Million Stake in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lowered its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 4.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 437,430 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 22,110 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $79,949,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 0.6% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 12,020 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,183,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC grew its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 1,294 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $234,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank grew its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 0.7% during the third quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 10,832 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,967,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Buckhead Capital Management LLC grew its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 2.2% during the third quarter. Buckhead Capital Management LLC now owns 3,435 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $624,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Somerset Trust Co increased its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Somerset Trust Co now owns 1,361 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $249,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. 86.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on THG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Hanover Insurance Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $200.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total transaction of $4,369,226.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 32,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,756,572.08. This trade represents a 43.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.91, for a total value of $217,092.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $438,344.93. The trade was a 33.12% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

NYSE:THG opened at $172.50 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.07 billion, a PE ratio of 9.49 and a beta of 0.31. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $147.76 and a twelve month high of $188.18. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $173.82 and its 200 day simple moving average is $177.01.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The insurance provider reported $5.46 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 10.05% and a return on equity of 21.00%. On average, analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th were given a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.91%.

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.