Walter Lynn Rice, Jr. Sells 2,188 Shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Stock

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) CAO Lynn Jr sold 2,188 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.31, for a total transaction of $206,350.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 8,154 shares in the company, valued at approximately $769,003.74. The trade was a 21.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Unum Group Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of UNM stock opened at $94.20 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.27. Unum Group has a 1 year low of $69.02 and a 1 year high of $96.77. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $90.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $83.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.16. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.26% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The firm had revenue of $3.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.92 EPS. The business’s revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Unum Group will post 8.64 EPS for the current year.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a dividend of $0.505 per share. This is a positive change from Unum Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.02 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 47.09%.

Unum Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, August 26th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to repurchase up to 7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on UNM. Barclays raised their price objective on Unum Group from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Atlantic Securities set a $88.00 target price on Unum Group in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on Unum Group from $110.00 to $108.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Wolfe Research decreased their price target on shares of Unum Group from $102.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Unum Group from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 24th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $99.42.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group in the first quarter valued at $29,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Unum Group in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC raised its stake in Unum Group by 385.2% during the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Company Profile

Unum Group is an insurance company that provides financial protection and employee benefits through workplace and individual products. Its offerings include disability insurance, life insurance, accident insurance, critical illness coverage, and related benefits designed to help individuals and families manage income loss and other financial risks.

The company serves employers, employees, and individual customers primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Its products are distributed through employers, insurance brokers, benefits advisers, and other intermediaries.