Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation, six have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $94.40.

A number of research firms have commented on UNM. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a report on Monday, January 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Unum Group from $85.00 to $81.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Unum Group from $104.00 to $102.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of UNM stock opened at $73.93 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $73.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $75.64. The firm has a market cap of $12.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.19. Unum Group has a 1-year low of $66.81 and a 1-year high of $83.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.19). The company had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.29 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.65% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.03 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Unum Group’s payout ratio is 43.29%.

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, December 4th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to buy up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Unum Group

In other news, Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $657,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 42,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,127,758. This represents a 17.36% 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 the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.47, for a total value of $351,624.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 52,268 shares in the company, valued at $3,787,861.96. The trade was a 8.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 21,852 shares of company stock worth $1,590,734 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Unum Group by 4.2% in the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,484 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $271,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in shares of Unum Group by 36.2% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 587 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 37,864 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,934,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in Unum Group by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 49,017 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,813,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.