Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.46

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of 0.46 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, February 20th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th.

Unum Group has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 16 years. Unum Group has a dividend payout ratio of 18.8% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Unum Group to earn $9.87 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.84 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 18.6%.

Unum Group Trading Down 3.0%

UNM traded down $2.37 during trading on Thursday, reaching $77.45. 2,108,536 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,195,532. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $77.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $75.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.96 billion, a PE ratio of 15.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.20. Unum Group has a fifty-two week low of $66.81 and a fifty-two week high of $84.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.36.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The financial services provider reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.15 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.31 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 13.09%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In related news, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.04, for a total transaction of $312,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 51,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,009,070.88. This trade represents a 7.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Walter Lynn Rice, Jr. sold 900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.50, for a total value of $66,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 8,940 shares in the company, valued at $657,090. The trade was a 9.15% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 12,400 shares of company stock valued at $951,160 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $247,000. Modern Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group in the 1st quarter valued at $203,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised its stake in Unum Group by 14.3% in the 2nd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 1,465 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $118,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Unum Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,363,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Unum Group by 22.8% during the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 48,074 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,948,000 after purchasing an additional 8,933 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

About Unum Group

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.