Francisco Aristeguieta Sells 1,000 Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Stock

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) Director Francisco Aristeguieta sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.37, for a total value of $195,370.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,053 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $791,834.61. This trade represents a 19.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of NYSE:THG opened at $191.45 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.70 billion, a PE ratio of 9.64 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $181.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $179.29. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $160.70 and a 1 year high of $199.59.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.14 by $1.11. The firm had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.58 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.55% and a net margin of 10.77%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.87 EPS. Analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 18.45 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, May 13th that allows the company to repurchase $700.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the insurance provider to buy up to 10.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

THG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Citizens Jmp upped their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $195.00 price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Zacks Research upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $207.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its position 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 last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 16.4% during 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 in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 24.9% during 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 in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.2% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 4.3% during 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 in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

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.