Brokerages Set Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) PT at $96.58

Shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have issued a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $96.5833.

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Unum Group from $96.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Unum Group from $94.00 to $92.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 price target on Unum Group in a report on Monday, December 15th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, CAO Walter Lynn Rice, Jr. sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.50, for a total value of $66,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,940 shares in the company, valued at $657,090. This trade represents a 9.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.04, for a total value of $312,160.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 51,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,009,070.88. The trade was a 7.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 12,400 shares of company stock valued at $951,160. 0.93% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Advisors Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Unum Group by 2.2% during the first quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 6,308 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $514,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Unum Group by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,484 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $271,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. NDVR Inc. increased its stake in Unum Group by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. NDVR Inc. now owns 4,526 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $366,000 after buying an additional 145 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 36.2% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 587 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Waterfront Wealth Inc. lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 29,350 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,370,000 after buying an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unum Group Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:UNM opened at $80.07 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $77.05 and its 200 day moving average is $75.97. The stock has a market cap of $13.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.20. Unum Group has a 52-week low of $66.81 and a 52-week high of $84.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The financial services provider reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.15 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.31 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 13.09% and a net margin of 6.99%.Unum Group’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current year.

Unum Group declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, December 4th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.