Unum Group $UNM Stake Decreased by HighTower Advisors LLC

HighTower Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 8.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 101,279 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 9,244 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Unum Group were worth $9,054,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in Unum Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 339 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Stock Up 0.8%

NYSE UNM opened at $93.41 on Friday. Unum Group has a 12 month low of $68.28 and a 12 month high of $94.55. The company has a market capitalization of $14.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.77, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.26. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $89.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $81.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.34 and a quick ratio of 0.34.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.16. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 5.26%.The company had revenue of $3.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.90 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.92 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Unum Group will post 8.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a dividend of $0.505 per share. This is an increase from Unum Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.09%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNM has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Unum Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Unum Group from $110.00 to $108.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Atlantic Securities set a $88.00 price target on Unum Group in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Barclays increased their price target on Unum Group from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, UBS Group set a $94.00 price objective on Unum Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $99.00.

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.