The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) Receives $199.00 Average Target Price from Analysts

Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $200.40.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $200.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Down 2.7%

The Hanover Insurance Group stock opened at $171.29 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.43 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $177.87 and a 200-day moving average of $176.66. The company has a market cap of $6.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.43 and a beta of 0.32. The Hanover Insurance Group has a one year low of $147.76 and a one year high of $188.18.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The insurance provider reported $5.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.20 by $0.59. The business had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.52 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.00% and a net margin of 10.05%.The Hanover Insurance Group’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $5.32 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th were issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 12th. This is an increase from The Hanover Insurance Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio is 20.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, EVP Denise Lowsley sold 1,619 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.47, for a total value of $293,799.93. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,511 shares in the company, valued at $637,141.17. This represents a 31.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total value of $4,369,226.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 32,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,756,572.08. This represents a 43.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Truist Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 2,255 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $383,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,880 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $344,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 2,026 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $370,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 0.6% during the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 12,020 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,183,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 1,294 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hanover Insurance Group Company Profile

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc (NYSE: THG) is a property and casualty insurance company that provides a range of commercial and personal insurance products. Through its subsidiary companies, Hanover offers coverage for businesses of all sizes, including workers’ compensation, general liability, commercial auto, and professional liability. On the personal lines side, the company underwrites homeowners, personal auto, flood, and umbrella policies designed to meet the needs of individuals and families.

In addition to its core commercial and personal insurance offerings, Hanover maintains a specialty arm that focuses on niche markets through tailored product solutions.