Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ Decreases Holdings in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM)

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ trimmed its position in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Free Report) by 14.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 27,850 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 4,783 shares during the period. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ's holdings in Unum Group were worth $2,034,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of UNM. Barrett & Company Inc. raised its position in shares of 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 during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Quarry LP raised its position in shares of Unum Group by 4,794.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 930 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 911 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Unum Group by 26.4% during the 4th 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 period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Unum Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $58,000. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNM has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Unum Group from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Unum Group from $81.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of Unum Group from $90.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Unum Group from $76.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $79.00 price target (up from $74.00) on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Five equities 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unum Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $86.62.

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Unum Group Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:UNM traded down $0.34 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $81.05. The stock had a trading volume of 1,191,326 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,145,516. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $76.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.91. Unum Group has a 12 month low of $48.38 and a 12 month high of $83.96. The company has a market cap of $14.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.56, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share 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, sell-side analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 24th were issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 24th. Unum Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.74%.

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

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 7,000 shares of the company'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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,284 shares in the company, valued at $2,588,751. This represents a 18.28 % 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, CEO Richard P. Mckenney sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 980,637 shares of the company's stock, valued at $80,402,427.63. This trade represents a 4.85 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company 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.