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

Key Points

• Analysts give Unum Group a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from 14 firms (7 holds, 6 buys, 1 strong buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $92.91.
• Unum missed the latest quarter—EPS $1.92 vs. $2.11 expected and revenue $3.25B vs. $3.29B—and set FY2026 guidance of 8.60–8.90 EPS versus analyst expectations of about 9.14; the stock recently traded near $79.65 (52‑week range $68.28–$83.13).
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.46 (annualized $1.84, yield ~2.3%; ex‑dividend April 24), has seen recent insider sales totaling ~21,852 shares, and is heavily institutionally owned (about 86.6%).

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the fourteen ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $92.9091.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on UNM shares. Evercore set a $103.00 price objective on Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings cut Unum Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a "moderate buy" rating and issued a $95.00 price objective on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Unum Group from $81.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th.

Unum Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNM opened at $79.65 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $73.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $75.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company has a market capitalization of $12.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.19. Unum Group has a 52-week low of $68.28 and a 52-week high of $83.13.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 business 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 period last year, the company earned $2.03 earnings per share. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. Research analysts predict that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 24th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Unum Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Timothy F. Keaney sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.58, for a total transaction of $326,610.00. Following the sale, the director owned 38,592 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,801,007.36. This trade represents a 10.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $255,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 29,453 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,150,069. The trade was a 10.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 21,852 shares of company stock worth $1,590,734 in the last ninety days. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNM. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,108,919,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 63.7% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 2,516,126 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $195,704,000 after buying an additional 978,937 shares during the period. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $58,860,000. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. increased its holdings in Unum Group by 365.3% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 930,534 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $72,116,000 after purchasing an additional 730,534 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC increased 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 worth $181,622,000 after purchasing an additional 607,684 shares during the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.

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