Analysts Set Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) PT at $86.62

Shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nine have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $86.62.

UNM has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Unum Group from $90.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Unum Group from $82.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Unum Group from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Unum Group from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Unum Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th.

Unum Group Stock Down 0.4 %

NYSE UNM opened at $81.05 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $76.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $70.07. Unum Group has a fifty-two week low of $48.38 and a fifty-two week high of $83.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.29 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.33 billion, a PE ratio of 8.56, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.74.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.14 by ($0.11). Unum Group had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 13.81%. Equities analysts expect that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, January 24th were issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 24th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.07%. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 17.74%.

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, February 18th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to reacquire up to 7.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 7,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.75, for a total value of $579,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,284 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,588,751. This trade represents a 18.28 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Richard P. Mckenney sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.99, for a total transaction of $4,099,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 980,637 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $80,402,427.63. The trade was a 4.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.93% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNM. Barrett & Company Inc. grew its stake in Unum Group by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 396 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Unum Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 26.4% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 766 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unum Group by 28.8% during the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 800 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.