UBS Group AG Raises Stake in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. $THG

Key Points

• UBS Group AG increased its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 58.7% in the fourth quarter, ending with 149,300 shares valued at about $27.3 million.
• The company’s latest earnings beat expectations, reporting $5.25 per share on revenue of $1.70 billion, both above analyst estimates, while revenue rose 6.1% year over year.
• Wall Street sentiment is generally positive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $203.60; the stock recently traded near $189 after rising 1.5%.

UBS Group AG increased its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Free Report) by 58.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 149,300 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 55,220 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned 0.42% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $27,288,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 36.1% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,280,418 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $217,505,000 after buying an additional 339,896 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 37.8% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 763,431 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $137,967,000 after buying an additional 209,616 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 16.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 639,890 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $116,223,000 after buying an additional 88,928 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 28.5% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 639,264 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $116,110,000 after buying an additional 141,835 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 52.9% in the 2nd quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 558,000 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $94,787,000 after buying an additional 193,000 shares during the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $195.00 price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Citizens Jmp boosted 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. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Hanover Insurance Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $203.60.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of THG opened at $189.06 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $177.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $177.30. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $160.70 and a twelve month high of $191.66. The stock has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 9.51 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

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

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio is 19.12%.

Insider Activity at The Hanover Insurance Group

In related news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 in the company, valued at approximately $438,344.93. This represents a 33.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Cynthia Egan sold 3,400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.50, for a total transaction of $640,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 9,359 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,764,171.50. This trade represents a 26.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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