Unum Group $UNM Position Boosted by Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 731.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 25,419 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 22,363 shares during the quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Unum Group were worth $1,977,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. NDVR Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unum Group by 3.3% in the second quarter. NDVR Inc. now owns 4,526 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $366,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 36.2% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 587 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Waterfront Wealth Inc. lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 0.5% in the second quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 29,350 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,370,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management grew its position in Unum Group by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 42,327 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,418,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Savant Capital LLC increased its stake in Unum Group by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 46,440 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,750,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNM has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Citigroup restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Unum Group from $98.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $97.08.

Insider Buying and Selling at Unum Group

In other news, 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 transaction of $66,150.00. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Steven Andrew Zabel sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.38, for a total transaction of $572,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 113,807 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,692,578.66. This trade represents a 6.18% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 12,400 shares of company stock valued at $951,160. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNM opened at $76.70 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $12.83 billion, a PE ratio of 14.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.36. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $77.05 and a 200-day moving average of $75.81. Unum Group has a one year low of $66.81 and a one year high of $84.48.

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

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Unum Group’s payout ratio is presently 35.87%.

Unum Group announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, December 4th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to buy up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

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.