Sanctuary Advisors LLC Takes $596,000 Position in Unum Group $UNM

Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 6,665 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $596,000.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC acquired a new stake in Unum Group during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Unum Group by 385.2% during the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNM opened at $93.16 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $14.75 billion, a PE ratio of 21.72, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.26. Unum Group has a 1-year low of $68.70 and a 1-year high of $94.55. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $89.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $82.23.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.16. The business had revenue of $3.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.90 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 5.26%.Unum Group’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.92 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. Research analysts predict that Unum Group will post 8.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $0.505 per share. This is a positive change from Unum Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $2.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Unum Group’s payout ratio is presently 47.09%.

Unum Group declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, August 26th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to reacquire up to 7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UNM shares. Wolfe Research lowered their price objective on Unum Group from $102.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $100.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Unum Group from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of Unum Group from $110.00 to $108.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Unum Group from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $99.42.

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.