The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Price Target Raised to $207.00

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) had its price objective raised by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $200.00 to $207.00 in a research report report published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on THG. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.40.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

Shares of THG opened at $172.42 on Monday. 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 Hanover Insurance Group has a 1-year low of $147.76 and a 1-year high of $188.18. The stock has a market cap of $6.13 billion, a PE ratio of 9.49 and a beta of 0.32. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $177.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $176.69.

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

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 32,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,756,572.08. This represents a 43.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Hanover Insurance Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Community Bank N.A. acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 300.0% during the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 200 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 56.6% in the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 224 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

About The Hanover Insurance Group

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.