The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Lowered to Hold Rating by StockNews.com

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $179.00 to $171.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Barclays upgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Hanover Insurance Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $178.00.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

Shares of THG traded down $2.17 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $161.72. 221,173 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 203,393. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $164.75 and a 200-day moving average of $159.31. The Hanover Insurance Group has a one year low of $119.66 and a one year high of $176.16. The firm has a market cap of $5.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.83 and a beta of 0.47. 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 Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $5.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO John C. Roche sold 301 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total transaction of $52,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 124,414 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,772,450. This represents a 0.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 91.9% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 213 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 49.5% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 272 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 502.1% during the fourth quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 283 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 236 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 331.4% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 302 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 232 shares during the period. 86.61% of the stock is owned by 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.