Morgan Stanley Cuts The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Price Target to $190.00

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) had its price objective trimmed by Morgan Stanley from $194.00 to $190.00 in a research report report published on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $197.00.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

NYSE THG opened at $178.68 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.29 billion, a PE ratio of 9.83 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.44. The business’s fifty day moving average is $174.43 and its 200 day moving average is $176.96. The Hanover Insurance Group has a fifty-two week low of $147.76 and a fifty-two week high of $188.18.

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

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The Hanover Insurance Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.91%.

Insider Transactions at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.91, for a total transaction of $217,092.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,423 shares in the company, valued at $438,344.93. This trade represents a 33.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard W. Lavey sold 24,420 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.92, for a total value of $4,369,226.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 32,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,756,572.08. The trade was a 43.15% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Hanover Insurance Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,880 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $344,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 2,026 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $370,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew 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 worth $2,183,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. 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 worth $234,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of 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 worth $294,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. 86.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.