The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Stock: Insider John Roche Sells 14,422 Shares

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) CEO John Roche sold 14,422 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.39, for a total transaction of $3,596,702.58. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 151,224 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,713,753.36. This trade represents a 8.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock traded up $0.31 on Friday, hitting $248.30. 155,599 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 309,720. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.87 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.40. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $166.54 and a 52 week high of $256.74. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $230.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $203.92.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The insurance provider reported $5.15 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.62 by $0.53. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 10.97% and a return on equity of 21.63%. The firm had revenue of $1.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.09 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 20.80 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th were issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 11th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is currently 18.17%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Jump Financial LLC bought a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group in the third quarter worth $843,000. FORA Capital LLC bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the third quarter valued at $620,000. Pathstone Holdings LLC lifted its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 1.1% during the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 26,705 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,630,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 73.5% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,182 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $895,000 after buying an additional 1,771 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 3,267.0% in the 3rd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,165 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $678,000 after buying an additional 3,071 shares in the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

THG has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. Citizens Jmp raised their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Zacks Research raised The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Friday, November 6th. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $260.00 target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Hanover Insurance Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $236.62.

The Hanover Insurance Group Company Profile

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. is a property and casualty insurer founded in 1852 as the Hanover Fire Insurance Company. Headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts, it provides insurance products and services primarily in the United States. The company offers personal insurance, including coverage for homes and automobiles, as well as commercial insurance for businesses. Its commercial offerings include coverage for small and midsize businesses and specialty risks. The Hanover distributes its products mainly through independent insurance agents and brokers, working with them to serve individuals, families, and businesses.