Brokerages Set The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) Target Price at $200.60

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $199.50.

A number of research firms recently commented on THG. Wall Street Zen cut shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th.

Insider Transactions at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.91, for a total transaction of $217,092.00. Following the sale, the director owned 2,423 shares in the company, valued at approximately $438,344.93. The trade was a 33.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total transaction of $4,369,226.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 32,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,756,572.08. This trade represents a 43.15% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company 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 THG. Norges Bank acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $83,817,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 36.1% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,280,418 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $217,505,000 after buying an additional 339,896 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 37.8% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 763,431 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $137,967,000 after buying an additional 209,616 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 44.1% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 646,910 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $118,236,000 after acquiring an additional 197,930 shares during the period. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 206.0% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 292,121 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $53,058,000 after acquiring an additional 196,655 shares during the period. 86.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

THG opened at $175.93 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.19 billion, a PE ratio of 9.68 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.44 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The business’s 50-day moving average is $174.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $176.94. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 1 year low of $147.76 and a 1 year 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 Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 10.05% and a return on equity of 21.00%. The business had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter. Research analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.91%.

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.