The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $206.72 and traded as high as $226.35. The Hanover Insurance Group shares last traded at $225.9460, with a volume of 230,639 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on THG. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $260.00 price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Tuesday. Citigroup restated an “outperform” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Zacks Research raised The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $240.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $215.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $231.43.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $8.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.12 and a beta of 0.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.38 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $223.88 and a 200 day moving average of $207.14.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The insurance provider reported $5.31 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.84 by $1.47. The company had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 21.72%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.35 EPS. On average, analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 20.25 EPS for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th were issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is currently 18.14%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, Director Jane Carlin sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $231.50, for a total value of $231,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,270 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $525,505. This represents a 30.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Dennis Kerrigan sold 2,104 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.41, for a total value of $467,950.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 12,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,669,587.23. The trade was a 14.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 9,655 shares of company stock valued at $2,145,846 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 2.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of THG. Interval Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 71.7% in the 4th quarter. Interval Partners LP now owns 138,385 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,293,000 after buying an additional 57,787 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 96.6% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 29,787 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,470,000 after acquiring an additional 14,633 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group in the second quarter valued at about $5,393,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group in the second quarter valued at about $47,734,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the second quarter worth about $7,374,000. 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 holding company headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, the company operates through a network of independent agents and provides insurance products and services primarily in the United States.

The company’s business is organized around personal, commercial and specialty insurance. Its personal lines include automobile, homeowners, condominium, renters and umbrella coverage. Commercial offerings include property, liability, workers’ compensation, commercial automobile and package policies for small and middle-market businesses, while specialty products serve selected industries and professional risks.

The Hanover also provides risk-management resources, claims services and related support to policyholders and agents.