Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Hits New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $86.35 and last traded at $86.1790, with a volume of 246289 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $84.91.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on UNM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Unum Group from $88.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Unum Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Evercore set a $103.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Unum Group from $83.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $93.83.

Unum Group Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.80 billion, a PE ratio of 18.78, a PEG ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 0.24. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $79.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $76.82.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $3.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.91 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.86% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.04 earnings per share. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Unum Group’s payout ratio is 40.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Unum Group news, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total value of $961,680.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,587 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,412,922.18. The trade was a 21.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.47, for a total transaction of $351,624.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 52,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,787,861.96. This trade represents a 8.49% 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 20,352 shares of company stock valued at $1,568,804. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Unum Group

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Unum Group by 385.2% in the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares during the period. 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.