MetLife Investment Management LLC Grows Position in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM)

MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Free Report) by 7.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 94,944 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 6,367 shares during the quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC owned 0.05% of Unum Group worth $6,934,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Barrett & Company Inc. grew 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 worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of Unum Group by 26.4% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 766 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its position in shares of Unum Group by 28.8% during the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 800 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company's stock.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNM opened at $77.33 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $77.78 and a 200 day moving average of $73.67. 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 stock has a market cap of $13.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.46. Unum Group has a 12 month low of $48.38 and a 12 month high of $84.67.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.14 by ($0.11). Unum Group had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 14.91%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 25th will be issued a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 25th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. Unum Group's payout ratio is currently 17.74%.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Unum Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Unum Group from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on Unum Group from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Raymond James raised Unum Group from a "market perform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $108.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Unum Group from $81.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $88.36.

Insider Buying and Selling at Unum Group

In related news, CEO Richard P. Mckenney sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were 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 $80,402,427.63. This trade represents a 4.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 7,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.75, for a total transaction of $579,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,284 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,588,751. This represents a 18.28 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.93% of the company's stock.

Unum Group Profile

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.

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