Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Lowered to “Strong Sell” Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report released on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Unum Group’s Q1 2027 earnings at $2.51 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.53 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.46 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $10.58 EPS.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Friday, February 6th. Citigroup restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $85.00 to $81.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 price objective on Unum Group in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $96.58.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of UNM opened at $73.85 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $76.11 and its 200-day moving average is $75.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.09 billion, a PE ratio of 17.38, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.20. Unum Group has a fifty-two week low of $66.81 and a fifty-two week high of $84.48.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.92 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.19). The company had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.29 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.65% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.03 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.29%.

Unum Group announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, December 4th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to purchase up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $657,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 42,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,127,758. The trade was a 17.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Timothy F. Keaney sold 4,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.58, for a total transaction of $326,610.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 38,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,801,007.36. The trade was a 10.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 14,400 shares of company stock worth $1,049,760 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.92% 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. Algebris UK Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 95.7% in the third quarter. Algebris UK Ltd. now owns 389,463 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,269,000 after purchasing an additional 190,454 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its position in Unum Group by 53.5% in the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 69,128 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,376,000 after purchasing an additional 24,101 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $14,644,000. Strs Ohio grew its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 12.2% in the second quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 44,360 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,583,000 after acquiring an additional 4,814 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vest Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Unum Group by 5.5% during the third quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 653,527 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $50,831,000 after acquiring an additional 33,807 shares during the last quarter. 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.