London Co. of Virginia Sells 62,474 Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

London Co. of Virginia reduced its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 13.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 391,468 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 62,474 shares during the quarter. London Co. of Virginia’s holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $71,550,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Community Bank N.A. bought a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. McMillan Office Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 300.0% in the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 200 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. 86.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, EVP Denise Lowsley sold 4,175 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.73, for a total transaction of $800,472.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,883 shares in the company, valued at approximately $744,487.59. The trade was a 51.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction, the director owned 9,359 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,764,171.50. The trade was a 26.65% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 29,508 shares of company stock valued at $5,704,651 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 2.80% of the company’s stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:THG opened at $199.38 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $187.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $180.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.03 and a beta of 0.30. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $160.70 and a 12-month high of $201.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.58 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.55% and a net margin of 10.77%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.87 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 18.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan 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 plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 12th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is presently 19.12%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

THG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $208.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen cut 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 The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citizens Jmp raised their target price on 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $207.00.

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.