Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Earns Outperform Rating from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reiterated by equities researchers at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $95.00 price objective on the financial services provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price target suggests a potential upside of 27.95% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on UNM. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Unum Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Unum Group from $104.00 to $102.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unum Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $94.40.

Unum Group Stock Performance

NYSE UNM traded down $0.26 on Thursday, hitting $74.25. The stock had a trading volume of 321,609 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,700,600. The company’s 50-day moving average is $73.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $75.67. Unum Group has a one year low of $66.81 and a one year high of $83.21. The stock has a market cap of $12.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

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

Unum Group announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, December 4th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to repurchase up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 52,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,787,861.96. This trade represents a 8.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $657,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 42,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,127,758. The trade was a 17.36% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 21,852 shares of company stock worth $1,590,734. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unum Group

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Unum Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 385.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.