The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Given New $142.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Free Report) had its price objective upped by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $137.00 to $142.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the insurance provider's stock.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. TheStreet upgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Tuesday, February 27th. Oppenheimer restated an outperform rating and issued a $150.00 price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Friday, April 5th. Piper Sandler restated an overweight rating and issued a $147.00 price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Monday, April 1st. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $140.83.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

Shares of THG stock traded up $0.81 on Wednesday, reaching $131.39. 154,064 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 163,220. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 1 year low of $103.82 and a 1 year high of $138.00. The company has a market cap of $4.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 139.77 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.39. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $131.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $124.33.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The insurance provider reported $3.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.51 by $0.62. The company had revenue of $1.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.56 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 0.59% and a return on equity of 2.44%. Equities research analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 10.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 14th. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 361.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other The Hanover Insurance Group news, SVP Warren E. Barnes sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.14, for a total value of $65,570.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 3,612 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $473,677.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 2.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of THG. Raymond James & Associates increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 14.0% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 14,446 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $2,160,000 after purchasing an additional 1,772 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 1st quarter valued at $209,000. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,679 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $550,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 5.6% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 5,221 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $780,000 after buying an additional 277 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Natixis Advisors L.P. grew its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 13,423 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $2,007,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during 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, 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.