Insider Selling: Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Director Sells 9,000 Shares of Stock

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $657,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 42,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,127,758. This trade represents a 17.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Unum Group Trading Up 0.3%

UNM traded up $0.19 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $73.66. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,535,517 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,482,886. The stock has a market cap of $12.06 billion, a PE ratio of 17.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 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 0.34, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.36. The business’s 50-day moving average is $76.64 and its 200-day moving average is $75.16.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.11 by ($0.19). Unum Group had a net margin of 5.65% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The company had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.29 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.03 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, December 4th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to purchase up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually 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 will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is 43.29%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unum Group

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of UNM. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Unum Group in the second quarter valued at $30,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 385.2% during the 3rd quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Unum Group by 44.0% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 537 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on UNM shares. Evercore set a $103.00 target price on Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Citigroup reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Unum Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $96.75.

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.