The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Hits New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $167.89 and last traded at $168.25, with a volume of 10326 shares. The stock had previously closed at $166.00.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $176.00 to $179.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Janney Montgomery Scott lowered The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $176.00 target price for the company. in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Barclays raised The Hanover Insurance Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $161.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Hanover Insurance Group has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $175.25.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Up 2.7 %

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $157.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $152.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.58 and a beta of 0.72. 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) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $5.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.45 by $1.87. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 6.83% and a return on equity of 18.01%. As a group, research analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 14.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.11%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.80%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in THG. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $222,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 28.9% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,355 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $941,000 after purchasing an additional 1,424 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 1.8% during the third quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 15,537 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,300,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 9.9% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,878 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,055,000 after acquiring an additional 1,250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 2.3% during the third quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 47,963 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $7,104,000 after acquiring an additional 1,082 shares in the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.