Unum Group $UNM Shares Bought by Paradiem LLC

Paradiem LLC increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 9.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 156,735 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 13,165 shares during the quarter. Unum Group accounts for about 2.8% of Paradiem LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Paradiem LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Unum Group worth $12,191,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the second quarter worth about $1,113,353,000. Teewinot Capital Advisers L.L.C. purchased a new position in Unum Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $58,881,000. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Unum Group by 762.9% in the second quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 712,206 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $57,518,000 after acquiring an additional 629,665 shares during the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 65.2% during the 1st quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 950,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $77,387,000 after purchasing an additional 375,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in Unum Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,601,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE:UNM opened at $78.84 on Friday. Unum Group has a 12-month low of $66.81 and a 12-month high of $84.48. The firm has a market cap of $13.19 billion, a PE ratio of 15.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $76.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $76.00.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The financial services provider reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.15 by ($0.06). Unum Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 13.09%. The company had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.31 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.13 EPS. Unum Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate 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 plan on Thursday, December 4th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to reacquire up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 24th were paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 24th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Unum Group’s payout ratio is currently 35.87%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Steven Andrew Zabel sold 7,500 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.38, for a total transaction of $572,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 113,807 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,692,578.66. The trade was a 6.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.04, for a total value of $312,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 51,372 shares in the company, valued at $4,009,070.88. This trade represents a 7.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 12,400 shares of company stock worth $951,160 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on UNM shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Unum Group from $100.00 to $98.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Barclays upped their price target on Unum Group from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Unum Group from $94.00 to $92.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 target price on Unum Group in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $94.91.

Unum Group Company Profile

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.