Caitlin John LLC Takes $718,000 Position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 3,353 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $718,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legato Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the fourth quarter worth about $1,238,000. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,926,000. UBS Group AG grew its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 58.7% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 149,300 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,288,000 after purchasing an additional 55,220 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $83,817,000. Finally, LSV Asset Management increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 1,586.7% during the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 25,300 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $4,624,000 after purchasing an additional 23,800 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

THG opened at $227.61 on Friday. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $166.54 and a 12-month high of $236.07. The stock has a market cap of $7.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.86 and a beta of 0.27. The business has a 50 day moving average of $219.31 and a 200-day moving average of $194.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The insurance provider reported $5.31 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.84 by $1.47. The company had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.72% and a net margin of 11.17%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.35 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 20.17 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 12th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 12th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is 18.14%.

The Hanover Insurance Group declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, May 13th that authorizes the company to repurchase $700.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the insurance provider to repurchase up to 10.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on THG. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (a)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Zacks Research raised shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Citizens Jmp lifted their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Hanover Insurance Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $225.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Dennis Francis Kerrigan sold 6,551 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.79, for a total transaction of $1,446,395.29. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 12,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,650,142.37. This trade represents a 35.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,000 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $231.50, for a total transaction of $231,500.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,270 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $525,505. The trade was a 30.58% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 9,655 shares of company stock valued at $2,145,846. Company insiders own 2.80% of the company’s stock.

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.