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Is Unum Group (UNM) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

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While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

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 - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. UNM is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 6.21. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 12.84. Over the past 52 weeks, UNM's Forward P/E has been as high as 6.74 and as low as 5.33, with a median of 6.10.

Investors should also note that UNM holds a PEG ratio of 0.73. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. UNM's industry has an average PEG of 1.49 right now. Within the past year, UNM's PEG has been as high as 1.27 and as low as 0.72, with a median of 0.83.

Another notable valuation metric for UNM is its P/B ratio of 0.96. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus 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 1.85. UNM's P/B has been as high as 1.09 and as low as 0.85, with a median of 0.96, over the past year.

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 0.8. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.49.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that UNM has a P/CF ratio of 7.29. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. UNM's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 8.15. Over the past year, UNM's P/CF has been as high as 7.76 and as low as 5.50, with a median of 6.83.

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.


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