Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Cuts Position in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM)

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lessened its holdings in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Free Report) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,954,260 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 84,921 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 2.71% of Unum Group worth $361,811,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of Unum Group by 50.0% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 469,342 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,554,000 after buying an additional 156,380 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Unum Group by 44.1% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 16,495 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,205,000 after purchasing an additional 5,047 shares during the period. Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $8,816,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Unum Group by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,552,252 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $405,481,000 after acquiring an additional 51,744 shares during the period. Finally, Oak Thistle LLC grew its position in shares of Unum Group by 362.9% during the 4th quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 19,461 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,421,000 after purchasing an additional 15,257 shares in the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unum Group Trading Up 1.8 %

Unum Group stock traded up $1.43 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $78.74. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,437,082 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,304,383. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market cap of $13.88 billion, a PE ratio of 8.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a 50 day moving average of $77.87 and a 200-day moving average of $73.70. Unum Group has a one year low of $48.38 and a one year high of $84.67.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by ($0.11). Unum Group had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 13.81%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 25th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.13%. Unum Group's payout ratio is 17.74%.

Unum Group declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, February 18th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to buy up to 7.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on UNM shares. Barclays lifted their target price on Unum Group from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 11th. StockNews.com cut Unum Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Unum Group from $81.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Unum Group from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $88.36.

Insider Buying and Selling at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 7,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.75, for a total value of $579,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,284 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,588,751. This trade represents a 18.28 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Richard P. Mckenney sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.99, for a total value of $4,099,500.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 980,637 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $80,402,427.63. This trade represents a 4.85 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.93% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Unum Group

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.