Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Unum Group (NYSE:UNM)

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Stock traders acquired 11,180 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 675% compared to the typical volume of 1,442 call options.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNM traded up $0.25 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $89.92. The company had a trading volume of 435,177 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,515,876. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $84.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $78.60. The stock has a market cap of $14.37 billion, a PE ratio of 19.53, a P/E/G ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Unum Group has a 1-year low of $68.28 and a 1-year high of $93.21.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.07. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 5.86%.The business had revenue of $3.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.91 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.04 earnings per share. Unum Group’s revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 8.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th were issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 24th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on UNM shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Unum Group from $99.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Unum Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a “moderate buy” rating and issued a $95.00 price objective on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Unum Group from $81.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $93.83.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In other news, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total transaction of $961,680.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,587 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,412,922.18. This trade represents a 21.98% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unum Group

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNM. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC raised its stake in Unum Group by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 8,157 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $596,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of 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 worth $271,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 1.9% during the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 7,922 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $579,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,781 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $218,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the period. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Unum Group by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 37,864 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,934,000 after buying an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

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.