Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Hits New 52-Week High – What’s Next?

Shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $91.36 and last traded at $90.9460, with a volume of 2084966 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $88.00.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Unum Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Unum Group from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Unum Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $88.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $83.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $93.83.

Unum Group Price Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average is $81.34 and its 200 day moving average is $77.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.35 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The company has a market cap of $14.79 billion, a PE ratio of 20.12, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.24.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.07. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.86% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The company had revenue of $3.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.91 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.04 earnings per share. Unum Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total transaction of $961,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,587 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,412,922.18. This represents a 21.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.47, for a total transaction of $351,624.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 52,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,787,861.96. The trade was a 8.49% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unum Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the first quarter worth $29,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the third quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Unum Group by 385.2% during the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 339 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

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.