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

Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three 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 objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $199.00.

Several brokerages have commented on THG. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $198.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. 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 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Down 0.2%

The Hanover Insurance Group stock opened at $169.76 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $181.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $175.64. 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 cap of $6.04 billion, a PE ratio of 9.82 and a beta of 0.33. 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 earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The insurance provider reported $5.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.79 by $1.30. The firm had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.72 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.73% and a net margin of 9.71%.The company’s revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.05 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 EPS for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This is an increase from The Hanover Insurance Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 12th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.98%.

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 approximately $637,141.17. This represents a 31.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Hanover Insurance Group

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Perigon Wealth Management LLC grew its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 69.4% during the fourth quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,685 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $491,000 after buying an additional 1,100 shares during the period. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,564 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,479,000 after acquiring an additional 271 shares during the period. Burns Matteson Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter worth about $560,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 22.2% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 5,551 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,015,000 after acquiring an additional 1,007 shares during the period. Finally, Pallas Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 12.7% in the 4th quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,297 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $420,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.