The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) Announces Earnings Results

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The insurance provider reported $5.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.45 by $1.87, Zacks reports. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 5.92% and a return on equity of 15.53%.

The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

THG stock traded down $0.88 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $152.60. 274,261 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 193,692. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The company has a market capitalization of $5.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.14 and a beta of 0.72. The Hanover Insurance Group has a 52-week low of $119.66 and a 52-week high of $166.13. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $156.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $149.49.

The Hanover Insurance Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 13th were issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.36%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 13th. This is a positive change from The Hanover Insurance Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.85. The Hanover Insurance Group’s payout ratio is presently 35.71%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

THG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $170.00 target price on the stock. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $165.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Janney Montgomery Scott cut 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. Bank of America lifted their target price on 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. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $170.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Hanover Insurance Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $174.88.

Insider Transactions at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other news, EVP Jeffrey M. Farber sold 6,114 shares of the business’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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 54,091 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,782,214.76. The trade was a 10.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,100 shares of company stock valued at $1,951,223. 2.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.