Unum Group $UNM Stock Position Lifted by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 2.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 340,538 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 9,089 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.21% of Unum Group worth $24,869,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNM. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,781 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $218,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 37,864 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,934,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 1.2% during the third quarter. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,709 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,066,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its position in Unum Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 21,140 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,638,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, L2 Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Unum Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 10,343 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $802,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Stock Down 0.3%

UNM opened at $88.81 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $87.39 and a 200-day moving average of $79.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.31, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.25. 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 has a 1-year low of $68.28 and a 1-year high of $93.21.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) 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 analyst estimates of $2.91 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.86% and a return on equity of 12.60%. Unum Group’s revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.04 earnings per share. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a $0.505 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $2.02 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. This is a positive change from Unum Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on UNM shares. UBS Group set a $94.00 target price on Unum Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Unum Group from $88.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “moderate buy” rating and set a $95.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Unum Group from $83.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Unum Group from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Unum Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $97.25.

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.