Unum Group Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:UNM)

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Stock investors purchased 11,180 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 675% compared to the typical volume of 1,442 call options.

Unum Group Trading Up 2.3%

UNM stock opened at $91.43 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a market cap of $14.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.88, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.24. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $84.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $78.82. Unum Group has a 52 week low of $68.28 and a 52 week high of $93.21.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $3.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.91 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 5.86%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.04 earnings per share. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Unum Group will post 8.77 EPS for the current year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on UNM shares. UBS Group upped their price objective on Unum Group from $81.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Unum Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Morgan Stanley raised 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 report on Thursday, May 21st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Unum Group from $99.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Unum Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $93.83.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In related news, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total value of $961,680.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,587 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,412,922.18. This represents a 21.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNM. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Unum Group by 70.0% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 5,079 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $371,000 after acquiring an additional 2,092 shares in the last quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unum Group during the 1st quarter valued at $73,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 18.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 580,230 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $42,374,000 after acquiring an additional 90,650 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the 1st quarter worth $1,575,000. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors increased its holdings in Unum Group by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 5,459 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $399,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.