Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Shares Sold by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP trimmed its stake in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 1.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,954,260 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 84,921 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in Unum Group were worth $361,811,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 6,536 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $478,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Unum Group by 26.4% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 766 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unum Group by 28.8% in the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 800 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 13,336 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $974,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Belpointe Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Unum Group by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 9,151 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $668,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Trading Up 0.2 %

Unum Group stock opened at $75.85 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $77.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $73.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.29. Unum Group has a 52 week low of $48.38 and a 52 week high of $84.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.46.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share 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%. Research analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 25th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 25th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.21%. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 17.74%.

Unum Group announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 18th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy up to 7.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Raymond James raised Unum Group from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $108.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Unum Group from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Unum Group from $75.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Unum Group from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Unum Group from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $88.36.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Richard P. Mckenney sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.99, for a total transaction of $4,099,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 980,637 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $80,402,427.63. This trade represents a 4.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.75, for a total transaction of $579,250.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,284 shares in the company, valued at $2,588,751. This represents a 18.28 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.93% of the company’s stock.

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.