Paradiem LLC Lowers Holdings in Unum Group $UNM

Paradiem LLC decreased its position in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 70.9% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 45,556 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 111,179 shares during the quarter. Unum Group makes up approximately 0.8% of Paradiem LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Paradiem LLC’s holdings in Unum Group were worth $3,531,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of UNM. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Unum Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 385.2% during the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in shares of Unum Group by 44.0% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 537 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in Unum Group by 36.2% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 587 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its position in Unum Group by 2,350.0% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 588 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 564 shares in the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on UNM. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Unum Group from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a report on Monday, January 5th. Evercore set a $103.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $94.40.

Unum Group Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of UNM stock opened at $72.95 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The company has a market cap of $11.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.16, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.20. Unum Group has a 1 year low of $66.81 and a 1 year high of $84.48. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $74.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $75.60.

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

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Unum Group’s payout ratio is presently 43.29%.

Unum Group declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, December 4th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to buy up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $657,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 42,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,127,758. The trade was a 17.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was 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 directly owned 52,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,787,861.96. This represents a 8.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 21,852 shares of company stock valued at $1,590,734 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

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.