StockNews.com Upgrades The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) to Buy

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $179.00 to $171.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Barclays raised The Hanover Insurance Group to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $178.00.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

The Hanover Insurance Group stock opened at $166.06 on Wednesday. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 12 month low of $119.66 and a 12 month high of $176.16. The stock's 50-day moving average is $164.97 and its 200-day moving average is $159.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The company has a market cap of $5.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.21 and a beta of 0.47.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $5.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.45 by $1.87. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 6.83%. Equities analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John C. Roche sold 200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.01, for a total value of $35,002.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 124,278 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,749,892.78. This represents a 0.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 2.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in THG. Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 61.5% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 27,155 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $4,022,000 after purchasing an additional 10,341 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter valued at $201,000. Congress Asset Management Co. increased its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 42.5% in the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 46,091 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $7,128,000 after purchasing an additional 13,750 shares during the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,046,000. Finally, Hodges Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 48.8% during the 4th quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 76,503 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $11,832,000 after purchasing an additional 25,089 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, 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.

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