The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.95 (NYSE:THG)

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th will be given a dividend of 0.95 per share by the insurance provider on Friday, June 26th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 12th.

The Hanover Insurance Group has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 20 consecutive years. The Hanover Insurance Group has a payout ratio of 23.6% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect The Hanover Insurance Group to earn $18.31 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.80 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 20.8%.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

NYSE:THG opened at $185.08 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.31 and a beta of 0.30. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 52-week low of $160.70 and a 52-week high of $199.59. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $182.44 and a 200 day moving average of $179.41. 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 Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.14 by $1.11. The company had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.87 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 18.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Denise Lowsley sold 4,175 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.73, for a total value of $800,472.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,883 shares in the company, valued at $744,487.59. This represents a 51.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Dennis Francis Kerrigan sold 6,262 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.99, for a total value of $1,208,503.38. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 11,988 shares in the company, valued at $2,313,564.12. The trade was a 34.31% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 29,508 shares of company stock worth $5,704,651 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 2.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Hanover Insurance Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 36.1% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,280,418 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $217,505,000 after buying an additional 339,896 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 970,177 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $168,179,000 after purchasing an additional 136,998 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 24.9% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 953,781 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $174,322,000 after purchasing an additional 190,350 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 827,320 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $143,416,000 after purchasing an additional 25,945 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in 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 worth $133,073,000 after purchasing an additional 29,870 shares during the period. 86.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.