Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Traders purchased 11,016 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 303% compared to the typical volume of 2,733 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays lowered their price target on Unum Group from $110.00 to $109.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Wolfe Research cut their price objective on Unum Group from $102.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 6th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $106.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Unum Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, UBS Group set a $94.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $99.33.

Unum Group Stock Up 1.3%

NYSE UNM opened at $93.00 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $14.72 billion, a PE ratio of 21.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.25. Unum Group has a one year low of $69.02 and a one year high of $96.77. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $91.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $86.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.34 and a quick ratio of 0.34.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.16. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 5.26%.The firm had revenue of $3.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.90 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.92 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 8.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, August 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to reacquire up to 7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Unum Group news, EVP Lisa Iglesias sold 4,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.44, for a total transaction of $377,760.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 25,453 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,403,781.32. The trade was a 13.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Timothy F. Keaney sold 4,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.02, for a total value of $404,286.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 36,502 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,431,918.04. This represents a 10.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 10,488 shares of company stock worth $988,396 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. CX Institutional raised its position in Unum Group by 57.8% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 352 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC bought a new position in Unum Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Ancora Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Unum Group during the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in Unum Group during the 4th quarter worth $39,000. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Unum Group

Unum Group is an insurance company that provides employee benefits and related financial protection products to individuals, employers and their workforces. Its offerings include disability insurance, group and individual life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment coverage, long-term care insurance, and supplemental health benefits.

The company serves employers through workplace benefits programs, including absence-management and leave-administration services. Through its Colonial Life business, Unum also offers voluntary benefits such as accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity and dental insurance, which employees may obtain through the workplace.

Unum Group traces its history to 1848, when Union Mutual Life Insurance Company was established in Maine.