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

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the seven analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $200.60.

THG has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE THG opened at $179.09 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $175.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $177.33. The stock has a market cap of $6.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.86 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The Hanover Insurance Group has a fifty-two week low of $147.76 and a fifty-two week high of $188.18.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The insurance provider reported $5.46 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 10.05% and a return on equity of 21.00%. Equities analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 EPS for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is 20.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other news, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the firm’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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 32,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,756,572.08. This trade represents a 43.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.91, for a total value of $217,092.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,423 shares in the company, valued at $438,344.93. The trade was a 33.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Hanover Insurance Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Community Bank N.A. acquired a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the third quarter worth $27,000. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 300.0% during the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 200 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

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.