Elizabeth Claire Ahmed Sells 5,000 Shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Stock

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.16, for a total value of $320,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 58,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,768,822.56. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Unum Group Stock Performance

Unum Group stock opened at $64.87 on Wednesday. Unum Group has a twelve month low of $41.86 and a twelve month high of $64.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market capitalization of $11.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.02, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.76. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $59.40 and its 200 day moving average is $54.85.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $3.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.26 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 15.21% and a net margin of 13.76%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.94 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Unum Group will post 8.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, July 30th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to reacquire up to 10% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 25th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 25th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.59%. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.18%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNM. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 361.5% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 503 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in Unum Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in Unum Group in the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Unum Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Unum Group from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. UBS Group raised shares of Unum Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Unum Group from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Unum Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $66.09.

Unum Group Company Profile

Unum Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial protection benefit solutions primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and internationally. It operates through Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, and Closed Block segment. The company offers group long-term and short-term disability, group life, and accidental death and dismemberment products; supplemental and voluntary products, such as individual disability, voluntary benefits, and dental and vision products; and accident, sickness, disability, life, and cancer and critical illness products.