Signaturefd LLC Sells 181 Shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM)

Signaturefd LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 18,841 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 181 shares during the quarter. Signaturefd LLC’s holdings in Unum Group were worth $1,376,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its holdings in Unum Group by 300.0% during the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 396 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group during the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. Quarry LP raised its position in Unum Group by 4,794.7% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 930 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 911 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in Unum Group by 26.4% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 766 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Unum Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $58,000. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, CEO Richard P. Mckenney sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.99, for a total transaction of $4,099,500.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 980,637 shares in the company, valued at approximately $80,402,427.63. The trade was a 4.85 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.75, for a total value of $579,250.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,284 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,588,751. The trade was a 18.28 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.93% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:UNM opened at $80.86 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $76.40 and its 200 day moving average is $69.91. Unum Group has a 1 year low of $48.38 and a 1 year high of $83.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.29 and a quick ratio of 0.28.

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

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, February 18th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy up to 7.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 24th were paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 24th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.08%. Unum Group’s payout ratio is presently 17.74%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on UNM. Barclays lifted their target price on Unum Group from $76.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Raymond James raised Unum Group from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $108.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Unum Group from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $79.00 price target (up from $74.00) on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on Unum Group from $90.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $86.62.

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.