FJ Capital Management LLC Has $6.84 Million Position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

FJ Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 43.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 37,427 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 28,390 shares during the quarter. FJ Capital Management LLC owned about 0.11% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $6,841,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Community Bank N.A. acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 300.0% during the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 200 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

NYSE:THG opened at $197.91 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $186.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $180.13. The company has a market cap of $6.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.96 and a beta of 0.30. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $160.70 and a fifty-two week high of $199.59.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.14 by $1.11. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.55% and a net margin of 10.77%.The firm had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.87 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 18.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

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

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 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the insurance provider to repurchase up to 10.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

THG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $208.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. BMO Capital Markets lowered The Hanover Insurance Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $194.00 to $203.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Zacks Research raised The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $207.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hanover Insurance Group

In related news, EVP Denise Lowsley sold 4,175 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,883 shares in the company, valued at $744,487.59. This represents a 51.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Dennis Francis Kerrigan sold 6,262 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 11,988 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,313,564.12. This represents a 34.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 29,508 shares of company stock worth $5,704,651 over the last quarter. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.