Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Hits New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) shares reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $94.29 and last traded at $94.21, with a volume of 40388 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $91.79.

Key Unum Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Unum Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its Q3 2027 EPS estimate to $2.46 from $2.39 and its Q4 2027 estimate to $2.42 from $2.36, signaling some confidence in earnings momentum later in 2027.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ updated forecasts call for $8.64 in FY2026 EPS, $9.41 in FY2027 EPS and $10.32 in FY2028 EPS. The FY2026 estimate is broadly in line with the $8.66 analyst consensus and Unum’s guidance range of $8.60-$8.90 per share.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks reduced its estimates for Q3 2026 EPS to $2.18 from $2.21, Q4 2026 to $2.16 from $2.21, Q1 2027 to $2.20 from $2.26, and Q2 2027 to $2.33 from $2.53. It also cut FY2027 EPS to $9.41 from $9.54 and FY2028 EPS to $10.32 from $10.50. The broad downward revisions suggest analysts see somewhat softer profitability than previously expected.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on UNM. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $117.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of Unum Group from $110.00 to $108.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. UBS Group set a $94.00 price target on Unum Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Wolfe Research decreased their price target on Unum Group from $102.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Unum Group from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $99.00.

Unum Group Stock Up 1.1%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $89.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $81.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.69 billion, a PE ratio of 21.65, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.26.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.16. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.26% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The firm had revenue of $3.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.92 EPS. The business’s revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 8.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.505 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. This is an increase from Unum Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.02 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Unum Group’s payout ratio is presently 47.09%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unum Group

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,108,919,000. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI purchased a new position in Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth about $58,860,000. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. increased its stake in Unum Group by 365.3% in the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 930,534 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $72,116,000 after buying an additional 730,534 shares during the period. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. bought a new stake in Unum Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $58,064,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Unum Group by 35.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,339,289 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $181,622,000 after buying an additional 607,684 shares during the period. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unum Group Company Profile

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.