Donald Smith & CO. Inc. Sells 464,757 Shares of Unum Group $UNM

Donald Smith & CO. Inc. decreased its position in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 26.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,315,212 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 464,757 shares during the quarter. Unum Group accounts for about 1.9% of Donald Smith & CO. Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Donald Smith & CO. Inc.’s holdings in Unum Group were worth $101,929,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. UBS Group AG lifted its stake in Unum Group by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,356,916 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $105,161,000 after buying an additional 68,957 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in Unum Group by 1,167.7% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 153,696 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,911,000 after buying an additional 141,572 shares in the last quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP lifted its stake in Unum Group by 245.9% in the fourth quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP now owns 106,742 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,273,000 after buying an additional 75,885 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Unum Group by 4.0% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,734,937 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $446,063,000 after buying an additional 223,095 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. bought a new position in Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,898,000. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.47, for a total transaction of $351,624.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 52,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,787,861.96. The trade was a 8.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total transaction of $961,680.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,587 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,412,922.18. The trade was a 21.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Unum Group from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a “moderate buy” rating and issued a $95.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Unum Group from $88.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Unum Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $83.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Unum Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $93.83.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of UNM opened at $90.95 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $14.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.77, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.24. Unum Group has a 1-year low of $68.28 and a 1-year high of $91.36. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $80.59 and its 200 day simple moving average is $77.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $3.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.91 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.86% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.04 earnings per share. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 8.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 24th. Unum Group’s payout ratio is presently 40.00%.

Unum Group Company Profile

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.