Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation, seven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $94.40.

Several equities analysts have commented on UNM shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Unum Group from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Friday, February 6th. Zacks Research downgraded Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a report on Monday, January 5th.

Unum Group Stock Performance

NYSE UNM opened at $74.51 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $73.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $75.67. The stock has a market cap of $12.20 billion, a PE ratio of 17.53, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.37. Unum Group has a fifty-two week low of $66.81 and a fifty-two week high of $84.04.

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). The firm had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.29 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.65% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The firm’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.03 earnings per share. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Thursday, December 4th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to reacquire up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.29%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $657,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 42,846 shares in the company, valued at $3,127,758. The trade was a 17.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 3,500 shares of the company’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 sale, the executive vice president owned 29,453 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,150,069. The trade was a 10.62% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 21,852 shares of company stock worth $1,590,734 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in Unum Group in the third quarter worth $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC increased its stake in Unum Group by 385.2% in the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unum Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by 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.