Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Hits New 52-Week High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Unum Group hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $91.36 and finishing near $90.95, up about 3.3% on the day.
• Recent analyst activity has been generally constructive, with multiple firms raising price targets and the consensus rating sitting at Moderate Buy; the average target price is $93.83.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $2.14 per share on $3.36 billion in revenue, while also maintaining a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share, implying a 2.0% yield.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $91.36 and last traded at $90.9460, with a volume of 2084966 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $88.00.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on UNM shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Unum Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Unum Group from $88.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a "moderate buy" rating and issued a $95.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Unum Group from $81.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Unum Group from $99.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $93.83.

Unum Group Stock Up 3.3%

The business's fifty day moving average price is $80.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $77.16. The company has a market capitalization of $14.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 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 (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $3.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.91 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.86% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.04 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Unum Group will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. Unum Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.00%.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In related news, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction of $961,680.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,587 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,412,922.18. This represents a 21.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Unum Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,108,919,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,734,937 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $446,063,000 after purchasing an additional 223,095 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,653,246 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $438,127,000 after purchasing an additional 26,753 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 7.7% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,084,382 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $298,287,000 after purchasing an additional 292,670 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 35.1% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,339,289 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $181,622,000 after purchasing an additional 607,684 shares during the last quarter. 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.

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