Worcester’s The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. has reported a net loss of $9.7 million for the third quarter of 2011, driven by $64.7 million in catastrophe losses after tax. The company reported net income of $52.3 million in the third quarter of 2010.

Segment loss before interest expense and taxes was $7.6 million in the third quarter of 2011, which included $99.6 million in catastrophe losses. In the third quarter 2010, the company reported segment income before interest expense and taxes of $79.2 million, which was impacted by $24.1 million in catastrophes losses.

"While our bottom line in the quarter was largely defined by catastrophes, particularly Hurricane Irene, and unusually bad weather, we have continued to improve and diversify our business. Our strong capital base and the progress we have made on our strategic priorities position us very well to take advantage of future market opportunities," said Frederick H. Eppinger, chief executive officer at The Hanover.

He added: "Perhaps most importantly, we see continued improvement in pricing trends. In commercial lines, we put a fourth consecutive quarter of accelerating price increases on the books, and in Personal Lines, we continued to achieve mid-single digit rate increases. We believe we will see the continuation of these trends going forward given the economic forces and weather losses experienced in the industry."