Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Reaches New 52-Week High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Unum Group shares hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $83.46 and closing near $82.82, after rising about 1.3% on the day.
• Analysts remain generally constructive, with the stock carrying a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $93.25, though recent rating changes were mixed.
• The company’s latest results beat expectations, with EPS of $2.14 and revenue of $3.36 billion, both above estimates; Unum also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share for a 2.2% yield.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $83.46 and last traded at $82.8170, with a volume of 107164 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $81.64.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on UNM. Wall Street Zen raised Unum Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. Weiss Ratings lowered Unum Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Zacks Research raised Unum Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Evercore set a $103.00 target price on Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a "moderate buy" rating and issued a $95.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $93.25.

Unum Group Trading Up 1.3%

The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The business has a 50 day moving average of $76.51 and a 200-day moving average of $76.06. The stock has a market cap of $13.22 billion, a PE ratio of 17.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.24.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.07. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 5.86%.The company had revenue of $3.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.91 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.04 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter 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, analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 8.73 EPS for the current year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th were paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. Unum Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 40.00%.

Insider Activity at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of the 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 owned 42,587 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,412,922.18. This represents a 21.98% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 52,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,787,861.96. This represents a 8.49% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 33,852 shares of company stock worth $2,552,414. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Unum Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC raised its position 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 during the period. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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