Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Price Target Raised to $102.00 at BMO Capital Markets

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) had its price objective increased by stock analysts at BMO Capital Markets from $95.00 to $102.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. BMO Capital Markets’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 22.71% from the company’s previous close.

UNM has been the topic of several other reports. Evercore ISI raised Unum Group from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $67.00 to $84.00 in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Unum Group from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of Unum Group from $90.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Unum Group from $81.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Unum Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.83.

Unum Group Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of UNM opened at $83.12 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $74.93 and its 200 day moving average is $67.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Unum Group has a 12-month low of $48.38 and a 12-month high of $83.96. The company has a market capitalization of $15.18 billion, a PE ratio of 8.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.80.

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

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, February 18th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to purchase up to 7.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNM. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 6,536 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $478,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 18,211 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,330,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Unum Group by 26.4% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 766 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. lifted its position in shares of Unum Group by 28.8% in the 4th 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 during the period. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Unum Group by 3.4% during the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 5,551 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $330,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

About Unum Group

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.