The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Shares Up 0.3% - Time to Buy?

Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) were up 0.3% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $152.93 and last traded at $152.64. Approximately 16,465 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 174,715 shares. The stock had previously closed at $152.13.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Janney Montgomery Scott cut The Hanover Insurance Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $176.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Oppenheimer increased their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $165.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $170.00 price target on the stock. JMP Securities upped their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $164.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Hanover Insurance Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $173.29.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Down 1.3 %

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $156.41 and a 200-day moving average of $142.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market cap of $5.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.89 and a beta of 0.71.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $3.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.65 by $0.40. The company had revenue of $1.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.67 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 15.53% and a net margin of 5.92%. The business's revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.19 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 11.41 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This is an increase from The Hanover Insurance Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.85. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.40%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Jeffrey M. Farber sold 6,114 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.36, for a total value of $992,669.04. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 54,091 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,782,214.76. This represents a 10.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In the last three months, insiders have sold 30,251 shares of company stock valued at $4,736,935. 2.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the second quarter worth about $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. 86.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.