Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Boosts The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Price Target to $207.00

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) had its price target raised by equities researchers at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $200.00 to $207.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the insurance provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price target suggests a potential upside of 18.69% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on THG. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $200.40.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

THG stock opened at $174.41 on Monday. The Hanover Insurance Group has a one year low of $147.76 and a one year high of $188.18. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $177.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $176.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.21 billion, a PE ratio of 9.60 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The insurance provider reported $5.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.20 by $0.59. The business had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.52 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 10.05% and a return on equity of 21.00%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $5.32 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other news, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 32,174 shares in the company, valued at $5,756,572.08. The trade was a 43.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 2.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in THG. AlphaQuest LLC raised its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 563.1% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 13,296 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,415,000 after buying an additional 11,291 shares during the last quarter. Vest Financial LLC raised its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group by 84.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 22,670 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $4,118,000 after acquiring an additional 10,375 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 75,356 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $12,801,000 after acquiring an additional 2,387 shares during the period. Aviva PLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $475,000. Finally, Boston Partners increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 141.4% during the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 34,882 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,925,000 after purchasing an additional 20,432 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.61% of the company’s stock.

About The Hanover Insurance Group

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.