Sei Investments Co. Raises Holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 28.8% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 93,736 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,933 shares during the quarter. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $16,249,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 339,896 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 16.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 970,177 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $168,179,000 after purchasing an additional 136,998 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 24.9% in the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 953,781 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $174,322,000 after purchasing an additional 190,350 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.2% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 827,320 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $143,416,000 after purchasing an additional 25,945 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 727,958 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $133,073,000 after purchasing an additional 29,870 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting The Hanover Insurance Group

Here are the key news stories impacting The Hanover Insurance Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted earnings per share rose 22.1% year over year to $5.31, well above the $3.88 consensus estimate. Lower catastrophe losses, stronger investment income and gains in Personal Lines supported the earnings beat. THG Q2 Earnings Beat on Personal Lines Gains, Revenues Miss
• Positive Sentiment: Underwriting performance improved materially: the second-quarter combined ratio fell to 91.2%, while Personal Lines operating profit nearly doubled and its combined ratio improved to 88.9%. This margin expansion strengthens the company’s profitability outlook. The Hanover Insurance: Better Margins Justify A Premium Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Citizens JMP raised its price target from $225 to $240 and upgraded the shares to “market outperform,” signaling continued confidence in THG’s earnings momentum. Benzinga analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: THG reached a new 52-week high following the earnings release, reflecting strong market momentum. Analysts remain constructive, but future gains will depend on the company sustaining its underwriting improvements and technology investments. The Hanover Insurance Group Hits New 52-Week High on Strong Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue of $1.73 billion exceeded the prior-year result but came in below analysts’ $1.65 billion estimate only according to some reports? The key concern is that valuation has become less forgiving, with shares trading near premium price-to-book and earnings multiples. That leaves limited room for execution misses or a rise in catastrophe losses. Hanover: The Underwriting Thesis Improved, The Entry Point Did Not

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on THG. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $215.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Citizens Jmp lifted their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research cut shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $194.00 to $203.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $220.00 price target (up from $211.00) on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $223.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other news, EVP Dennis Francis Kerrigan sold 6,262 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.99, for a total value of $1,208,503.38. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 11,988 shares in the company, valued at $2,313,564.12. This represents a 34.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO John C. Roche sold 8,358 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.74, for a total transaction of $1,619,278.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 141,011 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,319,471.14. This represents a 5.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 26,108 shares of company stock valued at $5,063,751. 2.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

Shares of THG opened at $229.52 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.37. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $206.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $187.37. The stock has a market cap of $8.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.96 and a beta of 0.28. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a one year low of $165.17 and a one year high of $235.15.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The insurance provider reported $5.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.84 by $1.47. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.72% and a net margin of 11.17%.The business had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.35 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 18.38 EPS for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 26th. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th were issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 12th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio is 19.12%.

The Hanover Insurance Group declared that its board has authorized 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 buy up to 10.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.