Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. Boosts Stock Position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Key Points

• Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 45.1%, owning a total of 907,760 shares worth approximately $157.9 million as of the latest quarter.
• The Hanover Insurance Group reported $4.35 EPS for the recent quarter, exceeding expectations and showing a revenue increase of 3.1% year-over-year.
• Several analysts have upgraded their ratings on The Hanover Insurance Group, with target prices reaching as high as $205.00 and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Free Report) by 45.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 907,760 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 282,233 shares during the period. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. owned approximately 2.53% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $157,905,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in THG. Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 81.7% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 307 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 331.4% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 302 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 232 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 47.2% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 499 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $87,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on THG. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen raised The Hanover Insurance Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised The Hanover Insurance Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $188.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. JMP Securities set a $205.00 price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Citigroup reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $185.13.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

Shares of THG traded up $1.3140 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $175.4140. The company had a trading volume of 156,106 shares, compared to its average volume of 248,362. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $135.49 and a 52-week high of $178.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.55 and a beta of 0.45. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $167.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $166.61.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The insurance provider reported $4.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $1.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.88 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 13th were given a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 13th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The Hanover Insurance Group's payout ratio is 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.