Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Stock Price Expected to Rise, UBS Group Analyst Says

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) had its target price boosted by investment analysts at UBS Group from $75.00 to $91.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. UBS Group’s price objective points to a potential upside of 9.80% from the company’s previous close.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Raymond James raised shares of Unum Group from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $108.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Barclays raised their price objective on Unum Group from $76.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Unum Group from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Unum Group from $81.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $87.86.

Unum Group Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:UNM traded up $0.88 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $82.88. 160,774 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,251,102. The firm has a market cap of $14.65 billion, a PE ratio of 8.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.74. Unum Group has a fifty-two week low of $48.38 and a fifty-two week high of $84.48. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $77.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $71.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by ($0.11). Unum Group had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 14.91%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 18th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to reacquire up to 7.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Unum Group

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

Institutional Trading of Unum Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Unum Group by 15.1% in the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 62,491 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,714,000 after buying an additional 8,186 shares during the period. Townsquare Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Unum Group by 12.5% during the 3rd quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 12,136 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $721,000 after acquiring an additional 1,350 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $516,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 3rd quarter worth $608,000. Finally, Centiva Capital LP increased its position in shares of Unum Group by 79.5% in the third quarter. Centiva Capital LP now owns 8,290 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $493,000 after purchasing an additional 3,671 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

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.