Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $73.09.

UNM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Unum Group from $54.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on Unum Group from $74.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Unum Group from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Unum Group from $69.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th.

Unum Group Stock Performance

UNM opened at $73.20 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $13.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.81. Unum Group has a 52-week low of $44.83 and a 52-week high of $77.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.28. The business’s fifty day moving average is $72.27 and its 200-day moving average is $61.56.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $3.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.26 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 13.76% and a return on equity of 15.21%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.94 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Unum Group will post 8.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Friday, October 25th were given a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 25th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.30%. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 3,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.02, for a total value of $227,565.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 50,762 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,554,355.24. The trade was a 6.02 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.16, for a total value of $320,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 58,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,768,822.56. This trade represents a 7.84 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 107,914 shares of company stock worth $7,998,745. 0.93% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Unum Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,032,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group during the second quarter valued at $87,000. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Unum Group by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 17,276 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $883,000 after acquiring an additional 772 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp bought a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $3,945,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unum Group by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 27,296 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,395,000 after purchasing an additional 873 shares during the period. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unum Group Company Profile

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.