25,635 Shares in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) Purchased by WBI Investments LLC

WBI Investments LLC purchased a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 25,635 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,965,000. The Hanover Insurance Group makes up about 1.0% of WBI Investments LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. WBI Investments LLC owned approximately 0.07% of The Hanover Insurance Group as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of THG. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $67,928,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 28.6% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,217,919 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $188,363,000 after buying an additional 270,491 shares during the last quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group in the fourth quarter valued at $21,797,000. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 15.7% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 958,858 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $148,297,000 after acquiring an additional 130,054 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 75.7% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 287,356 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $44,443,000 after acquiring an additional 123,793 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.61% of the company's stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

NYSE:THG traded up $1.51 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $168.50. 143,232 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 208,546. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.41 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $165.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $161.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $119.66 and a twelve month high of $176.16.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The insurance provider reported $3.87 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.58 by $0.29. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 6.83% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The company had revenue of $1.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.55 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.08 earnings per share. The Hanover Insurance Group's revenue was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.98%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on THG shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $171.00 to $173.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $163.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday. Barclays upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, JMP Securities raised their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Hanover Insurance Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $179.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO John C. Roche sold 301 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total value of $52,675.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 124,414 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,772,450. The trade was a 0.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Bryan J. Salvatore sold 10,526 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.60, for a total transaction of $1,753,631.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,864 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,308,942.40. This represents a 28.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 11,027 shares of company stock worth $1,841,309 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company's stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Profile

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.