Short Interest in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) Expands By 52.0%

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 549,800 shares, a growth of 52.0% from the February 28th total of 361,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 229,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days. Currently, 1.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Down 1.4 %

THG stock traded down $2.50 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $172.64. The stock had a trading volume of 305,365 shares, compared to its average volume of 193,850. The company's 50-day moving average price is $164.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $157.89. 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 firm has a market cap of $6.20 billion, a PE ratio of 14.77 and a beta of 0.65. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 12-month low of $119.66 and a 12-month high of $176.16.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $5.32 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th were paid a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.09%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 30.80%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $176.00 to $179.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $161.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Barclays upgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on 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. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $179.00.

Insider Transactions at The Hanover Insurance Group

In related news, CEO John C. Roche sold 301 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total transaction of $52,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 124,414 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,772,450. The trade was a 0.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of THG. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 61.5% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 27,155 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,022,000 after buying an additional 10,341 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the fourth quarter worth about $201,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 104.4% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,967 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,772,000 after acquiring an additional 6,112 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 82.4% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 11,500 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,702,000 after purchasing an additional 5,194 shares during the period. Finally, Congress Asset Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 42.5% in the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 46,091 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $7,128,000 after purchasing an additional 13,750 shares in the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.