Insider Selling: Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) EVP Sells 4,852 Shares of Stock

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) EVP Christopher Pyne sold 4,852 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.47, for a total transaction of $351,624.44. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 52,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,787,861.96. This represents a 8.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Unum Group Trading Down 1.3%

Unum Group stock traded down $0.95 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $74.24. 1,895,312 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,563,268. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $74.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $75.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.47, a PEG ratio of 1.58 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.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.19). Unum Group had a net margin of 5.65% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The business had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.29 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.03 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were 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 of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.29%.

Unum Group announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, December 4th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to repurchase up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNM. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in Unum Group during the third quarter worth $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC grew its position in Unum Group by 385.2% in the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on UNM. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Unum Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $85.00 to $81.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Unum Group from $104.00 to $102.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Unum Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $94.40.

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.