Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Sets New 52-Week High – Here’s What Happened

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $86.35 and last traded at $86.1790, with a volume of 246289 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $84.91.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on UNM shares. Zacks Research upgraded Unum Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Unum Group from $81.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Unum Group from $99.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “moderate buy” rating and issued a $95.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Unum Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $93.83.

Unum Group Trading Up 2.1%

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $79.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $76.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.85, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.35.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $3.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.91 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 5.86%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.04 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.00%.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In other news, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total value of $961,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,587 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,412,922.18. The trade was a 21.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $255,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 29,453 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,150,069. The trade was a 10.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 20,352 shares of company stock valued at $1,568,804. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Unum Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UNM. UBS Group AG raised its stake in Unum Group by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,356,916 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $105,161,000 after acquiring an additional 68,957 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in Unum Group by 1,167.7% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 153,696 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,911,000 after acquiring an additional 141,572 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in Unum Group by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,734,937 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $446,063,000 after acquiring an additional 223,095 shares during the last quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP raised its stake in Unum Group by 245.9% during the 4th quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP now owns 106,742 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,273,000 after acquiring an additional 75,885 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,898,000. 86.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Unum Group

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.