Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Stock

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) had its price target boosted by equities researchers at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $207.00 to $208.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the insurance provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price objective would indicate a potential upside of 19.78% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on THG. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $200.60.

The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock opened at $173.66 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $6.10 billion, a PE ratio of 9.56 and a beta of 0.32. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $176.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $177.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.44. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 52-week low of $147.76 and a 52-week high of $188.18.

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 20th. The insurance provider reported $5.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 10.05% and a return on equity of 21.00%. On average, analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total value 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. This represents a 43.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hanover Insurance Group

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,880 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $344,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 2,026 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $370,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 12,020 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,183,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 1,294 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $234,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,610 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $294,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. 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.