Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Invests $3.23 Million in Unum Group $UNM

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 44,200 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $3,228,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 385.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Unum Group news, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total transaction of $961,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,587 shares in the company, valued at $3,412,922.18. This represents a 21.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of UNM stock opened at $89.86 on Friday. Unum Group has a twelve month low of $68.28 and a twelve month high of $93.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $84.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $78.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.53, a P/E/G ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.24.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $3.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.91 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 5.86%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.04 earnings per share. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Unum Group will post 8.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on UNM shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Unum Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “moderate buy” rating and issued a $95.00 price objective on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Bank of America cut their target price on Unum Group from $83.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Unum Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on Unum Group from $81.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $93.83.

Unum Group Company Profile

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.