Trillium Asset Management LLC Makes New Investment in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Trillium Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 32,198 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $6,894,000.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the second quarter valued at $756,471,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the fourth quarter worth $83,817,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 36.1% during the second 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. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group in the second quarter valued at $69,481,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 37.8% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 763,431 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $137,967,000 after acquiring an additional 209,616 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.50, for a total value of $231,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,270 shares in the company, valued at approximately $525,505. This represents a 30.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.80% of the company’s stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock opened at $223.48 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.38 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $216.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $193.15. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $166.54 and a 1 year high of $236.07. The company has a market capitalization of $7.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.67 and a beta of 0.27.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The insurance provider reported $5.31 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.84 by $1.47. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 21.72%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.35 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 20.17 EPS for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, May 13th that permits the company to repurchase $700.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the insurance provider to buy up to 10.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 26th. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th were issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 12th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is presently 18.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on THG. Citigroup restated an “outperform” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Citizens Jmp upped their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $215.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. BMO Capital Markets cut The Hanover Insurance Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $194.00 to $203.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $225.71.

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.