BNP Paribas Financial Markets Grows Stake in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Free Report) by 104.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 11,967 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 6,112 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets' holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $1,772,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in THG. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 64.9% in the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 427 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $60,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.61% of the company's stock.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

Shares of THG stock traded down $3.34 on Friday, hitting $160.92. The company had a trading volume of 204,823 shares, compared to its average volume of 172,684. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $119.36 and a twelve month high of $166.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market cap of $5.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.96 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $155.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $141.45.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $3.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.65 by $0.40. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 15.53% and a net margin of 5.92%. The company had revenue of $1.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.67 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.19 earnings per share. The Hanover Insurance Group's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 11.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. This is an increase from The Hanover Insurance Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.85. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.24%. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio is 33.73%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on THG shares. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $165.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Thursday. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $170.00 target price on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $164.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Bank of America lifted their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $158.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $162.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Hanover Insurance Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $173.29.

Insider Activity at The Hanover Insurance Group

In related news, EVP Jeffrey M. Farber sold 1,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.11, for a total value of $180,132.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 85,983 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,906,908.13. This represents a 1.38 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 30,551 shares of company stock worth $4,781,935. 2.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.