The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG Shares Sold by Nordea Investment Management AB

Key Points

• Nordea Investment Management AB cut its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 11.1% (sold 7,147 shares) and now owns 57,422 shares worth about $10.55M, while other large institutions (Millennium, Goldman Sachs, UBS) added to positions — institutional investors hold 86.61% of the stock.
• Insider selling continues: Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares and EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares, leaving company insiders with roughly 2.50% ownership.
• The firm declared a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share (annualized $3.80, ~2.2% yield), and the stock trades at a P/E of 9.38 with a MarketBeat consensus of “Moderate Buy” and a $200.60 price target.

Nordea Investment Management AB lessened its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Free Report) by 11.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 57,422 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 7,147 shares during the quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB owned 0.16% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $10,549,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position 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 in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 1,568.9% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 751 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $131,000 after acquiring an additional 706 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 21.6% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 218,753 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $38,052,000 after acquiring an additional 38,905 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 6.4% during the 1st 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 acquiring an additional 7,712 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 195.0% during the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,688 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $626,000 after acquiring an additional 2,438 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.61% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.91, for a total transaction of $217,092.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,423 shares in the company, valued at $438,344.93. The trade was a 33.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total value 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 approximately $5,756,572.08. The trade was a 43.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 2.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

Shares of THG stock opened at $170.48 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.44 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The company's fifty day moving average price is $173.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $177.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.38 and a beta of 0.31. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $147.76 and a 12 month high of $188.18.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The insurance provider reported $5.46 earnings per share for the quarter. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.00% and a net margin of 10.05%.The company had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.91%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on THG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on 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 cut The Hanover Insurance Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $200.60.

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.

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