Unum Group $UNM Shares Acquired by Prospector Partners LLC

Prospector Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 44.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 171,290 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 52,606 shares during the period. Unum Group makes up 1.6% of Prospector Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Prospector Partners LLC owned 0.10% of Unum Group worth $13,323,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Unum Group during the 2nd quarter worth $1,113,353,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its position in Unum Group by 63.7% in the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 2,516,126 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $195,704,000 after buying an additional 978,937 shares during the period. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 762.9% in the 2nd quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 712,206 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $57,518,000 after acquiring an additional 629,665 shares during the period. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Unum Group by 66.4% in the second quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 760,765 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $61,439,000 after purchasing an additional 303,500 shares during the period. Finally, Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC increased its position in 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 acquiring an additional 245,718 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Price Performance

NYSE UNM opened at $73.25 on Thursday. Unum Group has a 1 year low of $66.81 and a 1 year high of $84.48. The business’s fifty day moving average is $76.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $75.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.37.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.19). Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 5.65%.The company had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.03 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, December 4th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to purchase up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Unum Group’s payout ratio is currently 43.29%.

Insider Activity at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, CAO Walter Lynn Rice, Jr. sold 900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.50, for a total transaction of $66,150.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $657,090. The trade was a 9.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on UNM. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Monday, January 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Unum Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Unum Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $97.25.

About Unum Group

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.