The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $199.00.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on THG shares. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $198.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of THG stock opened at $185.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.42. The company has a market capitalization of $6.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.70 and a beta of 0.33. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 52-week low of $145.17 and a 52-week high of $188.18. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $178.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $174.32.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.79 by $1.30. The firm had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.72 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 9.71% and a return on equity of 21.73%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.05 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. This is a positive change 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 2.1%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.98%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Denise Lowsley sold 1,619 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $181.47, for a total value of $293,799.93. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,511 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $637,141.17. This represents a 31.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 2.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Community Bank N.A. bought a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 300.0% in the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 200 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 56.6% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 224 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Institutional investors own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

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.