Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Reaches New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $94.29 and last traded at $94.21, with a volume of 40388 shares. The stock had previously closed at $91.79.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on UNM shares. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Unum Group from $117.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Unum Group from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of Unum Group from $110.00 to $108.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Unum Group from $100.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, UBS Group set a $94.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $99.00.

Unum Group Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $89.51 and a 200 day moving average of $81.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $14.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.26.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.16. The business had revenue of $3.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.90 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.26% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.92 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 8.65 EPS for the current year.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $0.505 per share. This is a boost from Unum Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $2.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.09%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unum Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC acquired a new position in Unum Group during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in Unum Group during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its position in Unum Group by 385.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

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.