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

Key Points

• Analysts give The Hanover a consensus "Moderate Buy" from six firms (four buys, two holds) with an average 12‑month price target of $197, though recent notes show mixed moves—Morgan Stanley and RBC trimmed targets to $190 while Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised theirs to $208.
• The stock trades around $178.76 with a market cap of $6.29B, a low P/E of 9.84, last quarter EPS of $5.46 and a forecasted FY EPS of 16.92, and the company reports strong profitability metrics including a 21% return on equity.
• The Hanover pays a quarterly dividend of $0.95 (annualized $3.80) for a 2.1% yield and a ~20.9% payout ratio, while recent insider selling (including an EVP sale of 24,420 shares) contrasts with high institutional ownership (86.61%).

Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $197.00.

THG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $194.00 to $190.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Monday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th.

The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock opened at $178.76 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $175.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $176.98. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 12-month low of $159.58 and a 12-month high of $188.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The stock has a market cap of $6.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.84 and a beta of 0.29.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The insurance provider reported $5.46 earnings per share (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. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 16.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.91%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.91, for a total transaction of $217,092.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,423 shares in the company, valued at $438,344.93. This represents a 33.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total transaction of $4,369,226.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 32,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,756,572.08. This represents a 43.15% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 2.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of The Hanover Insurance Group

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Community Bank N.A. acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted 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 worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. 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.

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