Is Unum Group (UNM) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

In this article:

The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

Unum Group (UNM) is a stock many investors are watching right now. UNM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 6.31. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 11.78. Over the past 52 weeks, UNM's Forward P/E has been as high as 7.46 and as low as 4.97, with a median of 6.47.

Investors should also recognize that UNM has a P/B ratio of 0.92. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 1.57. Over the past 12 months, UNM's P/B has been as high as 1.06 and as low as 0.45, with a median of 0.69.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. UNM has a P/S ratio of 0.66. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.89.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that UNM has a P/CF ratio of 5.49. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 6.41. Over the past year, UNM's P/CF has been as high as 6.63 and as low as 4.67, with a median of 5.69.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that Unum Group is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, UNM sticks out at as one of the market's strongest value stocks.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Unum Group (UNM) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

Advertisement