Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. raised its holdings in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Free Report) by 43.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 575,000 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 175,000 shares during the quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. owned approximately 0.31% of Unum Group worth $41,992,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in UNM. Barrett & Company Inc. boosted its holdings 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 worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position 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 valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Unum Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company's stock.
Unum Group Price Performance
UNM stock traded up $0.57 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $79.04. 1,100,587 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,307,625. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $78.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $74.24. The stock has a market cap of $13.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.35, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.46. Unum Group has a fifty-two week low of $48.38 and a fifty-two week high of $84.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.29.
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%. Research analysts predict that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current year.
Unum Group Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Shareholders 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.13%. Unum Group's payout ratio is 17.74%.
Unum Group announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 18th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to reacquire up to 7.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
UNM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James upgraded Unum Group from a "market perform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $108.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. StockNews.com cut Unum Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Unum Group from $75.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Unum Group from $97.00 to $95.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Unum Group from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $88.36.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Unum Group
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, 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 transaction 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 trade represents a 4.85 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 7,000 shares of Unum Group 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 in the company, valued at approximately $2,588,751. This trade represents a 18.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.93% of the company's stock.
About Unum Group
(
Free Report)
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.
See Also
Before you consider Unum Group, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Unum Group wasn't on the list.
While Unum Group currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Which stocks are likely to thrive in today's challenging market? Enter your email address and we'll send you MarketBeat's list of ten stocks that will drive in any economic environment.
Get This Free Report
