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

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $99.4167.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on UNM. Wolfe Research lowered their price objective on Unum Group from $102.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $100.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Unum Group from $117.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. UBS Group set a $94.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Unum Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th.

Unum Group Stock Up 1.0%

UNM opened at $92.45 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $89.34 and its 200 day simple moving average is $82.15. Unum Group has a 52 week low of $68.70 and a 52 week high of $94.55. The firm has a market cap of $14.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.55, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.16. The company 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.92 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 8.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, August 26th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to buy up to 7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a $0.505 dividend. This is an increase from Unum Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.02 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 47.09%.

Institutional Trading of Unum Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in Unum Group by 7,918.5% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 15,097,514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,349,718,000 after acquiring an additional 14,909,231 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Unum Group in the fourth quarter worth $1,108,919,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in Unum Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $84,097,000. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $58,860,000. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its stake in Unum Group by 365.3% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 930,534 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $72,116,000 after acquiring an additional 730,534 shares in the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unum Group Company Profile

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.