Expect Equity LLC Trims Stock Holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Key Points

• Expect Equity LLC reduced its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 10.4%, leaving it with 12,698 shares valued at approximately $2.2 million.
• Several hedge funds increased their stakes in The Hanover Insurance Group, including Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management, which grew its stake by 819%.
• Equities research analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for THG, with an average target price of $185.13.

Expect Equity LLC trimmed its position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Free Report) by 10.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,698 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 1,480 shares during the period. The Hanover Insurance Group accounts for 2.5% of Expect Equity LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Expect Equity LLC's holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $2,209,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group in the first quarter worth $27,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 331.4% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 302 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the first quarter worth $53,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 81.7% in the fourth quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 307 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 819.0% in the first quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 386 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 344 shares during the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on THG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised The Hanover Insurance Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $188.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. JMP Securities set a $205.00 target price on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Citigroup reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $185.13.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Down 0.7%

The Hanover Insurance Group stock opened at $173.40 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a one year low of $139.37 and a one year high of $178.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.20 billion, a PE ratio of 11.42 and a beta of 0.45. The business's fifty day moving average is $168.23 and its 200 day moving average is $167.05.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The insurance provider reported $4.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.07 by $1.28. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 20.24% and a net margin of 8.67%.The company had revenue of $1.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.60 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.88 earnings per share. The Hanover Insurance Group's revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 EPS for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th were given a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 13th. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.70%.

About The Hanover Insurance Group

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various property and casualty insurance products and services in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Core Commercial, Specialty, Personal Lines, and Other. The Commercial Lines segment offers commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, workers' compensation, and other commercial lines coverage.

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