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

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $66.09.

UNM has been the subject of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Unum Group from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Evercore ISI increased their target price on Unum Group from $59.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Unum Group from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Unum Group from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Unum Group from $62.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd.

Unum Group Stock Up 1.2 %

UNM traded up $0.80 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $70.22. 1,129,719 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,249,716. The company has a current ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Unum Group has a 12-month low of $41.86 and a 12-month high of $71.42. The firm has a market cap of $12.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.76. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $60.26 and a 200 day moving average of $55.23.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $3.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.26 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 15.21% and a net margin of 13.76%. Unum Group's revenue was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.94 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Unum Group will post 8.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, July 30th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to repurchase up to 10% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 25th will be given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.39%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 25th. Unum Group's payout ratio is currently 18.18%.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In related news, EVP Timothy Gerald Arnold sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.11, for a total value of $541,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 64,821 shares in the company, valued at $3,507,464.31. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Unum Group news, EVP Timothy Gerald Arnold sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.11, for a total value of $541,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 64,821 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,507,464.31. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Walter Lynn Rice, Jr. sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.56, for a total transaction of $104,340.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 8,361 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $581,591.16. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 87,545 shares of company stock worth $4,921,174. Company insiders own 0.93% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Unum Group by 361.5% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 503 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 394 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in Unum Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in Unum Group during the third quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company's stock.

About Unum Group

Unum Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial protection benefit solutions primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and internationally. It operates through Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, and Closed Block segment. The company offers group long-term and short-term disability, group life, and accidental death and dismemberment products; supplemental and voluntary products, such as individual disability, voluntary benefits, and dental and vision products; and accident, sickness, disability, life, and cancer and critical illness products.