Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $96.5833.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UNM. Weiss Ratings upgraded Unum Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Citigroup restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price objective on Unum Group from $85.00 to $81.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th.

Unum Group Stock Performance

Shares of Unum Group stock opened at $71.68 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $75.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $75.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37. Unum Group has a fifty-two week low of $66.81 and a fifty-two week high of $84.48.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.92 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.19). Unum Group had a net margin of 5.65% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The firm had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.03 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, December 4th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to purchase up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Walter Lynn Rice, Jr. sold 900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.50, for a total value of $66,150.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,940 shares in the company, valued at $657,090. This represents a 9.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Timothy F. Keaney sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.58, for a total transaction of $326,610.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 38,592 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,801,007.36. This represents a 10.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 14,400 shares of company stock valued at $1,049,760 over the last ninety days. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth about $247,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Unum Group by 138.8% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 112,985 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,125,000 after purchasing an additional 65,670 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in Unum Group by 128.0% in the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 15,374 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,242,000 after purchasing an additional 8,630 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lifted its stake in Unum Group by 394.3% in the second quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 24,729 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,997,000 after buying an additional 19,726 shares during the period. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors bought a new position in shares of Unum Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $383,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Company Profile

Unum Group (NYSE: UNM) is a leading provider of employee benefits in the United States and selected international markets, specializing in disability, life, accident and critical illness insurance. Through both fully insured and self-funded arrangements, the company offers group coverage designed to protect income and mitigate financial hardship for employees and their families. Its portfolio includes short-term and long-term disability plans, group life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) policies, as well as critical illness and hospital indemnity products.

In addition to its core product lines, Unum Group markets voluntary benefits under its Colonial Life brand, allowing employees to purchase supplemental insurance such as accident, cancer, and dental coverage directly through payroll deductions.