The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Trading Up 0.8% - Time to Buy?

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) shares shot up 0.8% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $164.95 and last traded at $164.27. 140,414 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 20% from the average session volume of 175,748 shares. The stock had previously closed at $163.04.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $165.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. JMP Securities increased their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $158.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $176.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $164.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $173.83.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.40. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $153.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $140.10. The firm has a market cap of $5.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.30 and a beta of 0.70.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $3.05 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.65 by $0.40. The company had revenue of $1.57 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.67 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 5.92% and a return on equity of 15.53%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.19 earnings per share. The Hanover Insurance Group's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 11.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th were issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.07%. The Hanover Insurance Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 33.73%.

Insider Activity at The Hanover Insurance Group

In related news, EVP Jeffrey M. Farber sold 6,114 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.36, for a total transaction of $992,669.04. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 54,091 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,782,214.76. This represents a 10.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders sold 30,551 shares of company stock valued at $4,781,935 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 2.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in The Hanover Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the third quarter worth $26,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the second quarter worth $25,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.