Gradient Investments LLC Purchases New Shares in Unum Group $UNM

Gradient Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 17,893 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,600,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of UNM. UBS Group AG increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,356,916 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $105,161,000 after purchasing an additional 68,957 shares during the period. Qsemble Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of Unum Group by 245.9% in the fourth quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP now owns 106,742 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,273,000 after buying an additional 75,885 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,567,000. TABR Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $5,768,000. Finally, Swedbank AB grew its position in Unum Group by 148.3% during the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 467,505 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $36,232,000 after buying an additional 279,233 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Trading Up 0.1%

UNM opened at $90.64 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $14.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.13, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company’s 50 day moving average is $88.79 and its 200-day moving average is $80.75. Unum Group has a 1-year low of $68.28 and a 1-year high of $93.21.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.16. The business had revenue of $3.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.90 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.26% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.92 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Unum Group will post 8.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $0.505 dividend. This represents a $2.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This is a positive change from Unum Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.09%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on UNM shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Unum Group from $117.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Barclays upped their target price on Unum Group from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Unum Group from $101.00 to $98.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on Unum Group from $110.00 to $108.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, UBS Group set a $94.00 price target on Unum Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $99.00.

Unum Group Profile

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.