The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) Short Interest Update

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 469,800 shares, a decline of 14.6% from the March 15th total of 549,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 252,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.9 days. Approximately 1.3% of the company's stock are sold short.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

Shares of THG stock traded down $3.80 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $160.09. 27,909 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 202,447. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 52 week low of $119.66 and a 52 week high of $176.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.69 and a beta of 0.47. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $164.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $159.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.40.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $5.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.45 by $1.87. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 6.83%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio is 30.80%.

Insider Transactions at The Hanover Insurance Group

In related news, CEO John C. Roche sold 200 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.01, for a total value of $35,002.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 124,278 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,749,892.78. The trade was a 0.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 91.9% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 213 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 49.5% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 272 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 502.1% in the fourth quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 283 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 236 shares in the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted 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 valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.61% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on THG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $179.00 to $171.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Barclays upgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $178.00.

The Hanover Insurance Group Company 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.