Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Issues Earnings Results

by · The Cerbat Gem

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM – Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Thursday. The financial services provider reported $1.92 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.12 by ($0.20), FiscalAI reports. Unum Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 13.09%. The business had revenue of $3.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.29 billion.

Unum Group Stock Down 1.6%

NYSE UNM traded down $1.23 during trading on Thursday, reaching $75.74. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,778,276 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,326,216. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $77.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $75.52. Unum Group has a 1-year low of $66.81 and a 1-year high of $84.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.67 billion, a PE ratio of 14.76, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.87%.

Insider Activity at Unum Group

In related news, EVP Steven Andrew Zabel sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.38, for a total value of $572,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 113,807 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,692,578.66. This represents a 6.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Walter Lynn Rice, Jr. sold 900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.50, for a total value of $66,150.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 8,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $657,090. This trade represents a 9.15% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,400 shares of company stock valued at $951,160. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Unum Group by 35.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,339,289 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $181,622,000 after acquiring an additional 607,684 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its position in Unum Group by 127.3% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 864,485 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $67,240,000 after purchasing an additional 484,107 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its stake in Unum Group by 1,204.4% during the third quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 287,274 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $22,344,000 after buying an additional 265,251 shares in the last quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Unum Group by 508.0% in the 2nd quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC now owns 294,088 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $23,751,000 after buying an additional 245,718 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its holdings in Unum Group by 18.4% during the second quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 1,125,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $90,855,000 after purchasing an additional 175,000 shares in the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Unum Group from $98.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Unum Group from $96.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Citigroup restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $97.08.

View Our Latest Research Report on UNM

Unum Group declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, December 4th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to buy up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Unum Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Unum Group (NYSE: UNM) is a leading provider of employee benefits in the United States and selected international markets, specializing in disability, life, accident and critical illness insurance. Through both fully insured and self-funded arrangements, the company offers group coverage designed to protect income and mitigate financial hardship for employees and their families. Its portfolio includes short-term and long-term disability plans, group life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) policies, as well as critical illness and hospital indemnity products.

In addition to its core product lines, Unum Group markets voluntary benefits under its Colonial Life brand, allowing employees to purchase supplemental insurance such as accident, cancer, and dental coverage directly through payroll deductions.

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