65,127 Shares in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Purchased by EAM Global Investors LLC

EAM Global Investors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 65,127 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,756,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barrett & Company Inc. lifted its position in Unum Group by 300.0% in the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 396 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new position in Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $45,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 26.4% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 766 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the company's stock.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of Unum Group stock traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $75.85. The stock had a trading volume of 1,131,954 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,298,678. Unum Group has a twelve month low of $48.38 and a twelve month high of $84.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.37 billion, a PE ratio of 8.01, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.46. The stock's 50 day moving average is $77.76 and its 200 day moving average is $73.45.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last released 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 net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 14.91%. Equities analysts expect that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 18th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to purchase up to 7.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Friday, April 25th will be given 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 yield of 2.21%. Unum Group's payout ratio is 17.74%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com cut shares of Unum Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $103.00 to $102.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Unum Group from $75.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Unum Group from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $88.36.

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.