Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Given New $102.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) had its target price reduced by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $103.00 to $102.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on UNM. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Unum Group from $81.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com cut shares of Unum Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. UBS Group increased their price target on Unum Group from $75.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Barclays upped their target price on Unum Group from $76.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Unum Group from $81.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $87.79.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of UNM stock traded down $2.74 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $74.15. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 782,808 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,283,927. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The business has a fifty day moving average of $77.86 and a 200-day moving average of $72.61. Unum Group has a twelve month low of $48.38 and a twelve month high of $84.48. The stock has a market cap of $13.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.46.

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

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, February 18th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to purchase up to 7.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 25th will be given a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.27%. Unum Group’s payout ratio is currently 17.74%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Richard P. Mckenney sold 50,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.99, for a total value of $4,099,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 980,637 shares in the company, valued at approximately $80,402,427.63. The trade was a 4.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.75, for a total transaction of $579,250.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,284 shares in the company, valued at $2,588,751. The trade was a 18.28 % 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

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UNM. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unum Group by 300.0% in the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 396 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unum Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group during the 4th quarter valued at $45,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in Unum Group by 26.4% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 766 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unum Group by 28.8% in the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 800 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. 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.