Richard Lavey Sells 24,420 Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Stock

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) EVP Richard Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total transaction of $4,369,226.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 32,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,756,572.08. This trade represents a 43.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

The Hanover Insurance Group stock traded down $1.80 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $176.26. The stock had a trading volume of 489,808 shares, compared to its average volume of 443,320. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.70 and a beta of 0.32. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $147.76 and a 1-year high of $188.18. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $178.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $176.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.43 and a quick ratio of 0.42.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The insurance provider reported $5.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.20 by $0.59. The company had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.52 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 10.05% and a return on equity of 21.00%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.32 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th were paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 12th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from The Hanover Insurance Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.91%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Community Bank N.A. acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 300.0% in the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 200 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 56.6% during the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 224 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. 86.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $198.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $199.00.

About The Hanover Insurance Group

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.