Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Raises Stock Position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lifted its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) by 646.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 22,744 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 19,696 shares during the quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH’s holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $4,157,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of THG. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 61.0% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 88,367 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $15,371,000 after buying an additional 33,495 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 1,568.9% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 751 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $131,000 after buying an additional 706 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 21.6% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 218,753 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $38,052,000 after buying an additional 38,905 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 6.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 129,031 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $22,445,000 after buying an additional 7,712 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 7.7% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 283,484 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $48,155,000 after buying an additional 20,294 shares during the period. 86.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.91, for a total value of $217,092.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $438,344.93. The trade was a 33.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total transaction of $4,369,226.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 32,174 shares in the company, valued at $5,756,572.08. This represents a 43.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

NYSE THG opened at $177.89 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $176.07 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $176.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $160.70 and a 12-month high of $188.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.79 and a beta of 0.29.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.22 by $1.03. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 10.05% and a return on equity of 21.00%. The business had revenue of $1.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.87 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 16.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is currently 20.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

THG has been the topic of several research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $194.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Monday, April 20th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Hanover Insurance Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $197.00.

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.