Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Stake Decreased by Boston Financial Mangement LLC

Boston Financial Mangement LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 25.0% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 30,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 10,000 shares during the quarter. Boston Financial Mangement LLC’s holdings in Unum Group were worth $2,191,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNM. Barrett & Company Inc. raised its holdings in Unum Group by 300.0% during the fourth 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. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in Unum Group in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Unum Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. Quarry LP grew its position in Unum Group by 4,794.7% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 930 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 911 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew 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 worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE UNM opened at $74.75 on Friday. Unum Group has a 1-year low of $48.38 and a 1-year high of $79.43. 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 company has a market capitalization of $13.65 billion, a PE ratio of 7.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.80. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $74.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.61.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, January 24th were issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 24th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 17.74%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Timothy Gerald Arnold sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.92, for a total value of $769,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 54,827 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,217,292.84. This represents a 15.43 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.93% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on UNM. StockNews.com raised shares of Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Unum Group from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $79.00 target price (up from $74.00) on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Unum Group from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Unum Group from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $81.17.

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.