The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Announces Earnings Results

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) issued its earnings results on Friday. The insurance provider reported $5.46 earnings per share for the quarter, FiscalAI reports. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.00% and a net margin of 10.05%.The business had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of THG stock opened at $175.94 on Friday. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 1-year low of $147.76 and a 1-year high of $188.18. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $176.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $176.89. 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 company has a market cap of $6.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.68 and a beta of 0.32.

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total value of $4,369,226.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. 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 in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 24.9% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 953,781 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $174,322,000 after buying an additional 190,350 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 833,179 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $152,285,000 after buying an additional 42,412 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 25.4% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 801,375 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $146,467,000 after acquiring an additional 162,111 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 727,958 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $133,073,000 after acquiring an additional 29,870 shares during the period. 86.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on THG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $200.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $200.40.

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.