Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

UNM has been the topic of several other reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Unum Group from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $54.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $91.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Unum Group from $74.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Unum Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $79.45.

Unum Group Price Performance

Unum Group stock opened at $76.62 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $74.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.28 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.80. Unum Group has a 12-month low of $46.64 and a 12-month high of $79.43.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.14 by ($0.11). Unum Group had a return on equity of 15.21% and a net margin of 13.76%. Equities analysts predict that Unum Group will post 8.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 24th will be given a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 24th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.18%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Richard P. Mckenney sold 58,865 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.39, for a total transaction of $4,437,832.35. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,007,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $75,917,956.17. The trade was a 5.52 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction of $769,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 54,827 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,217,292.84. This trade represents a 15.43 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 98,164 shares of company stock worth $7,346,040 over the last quarter. 0.93% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Unum Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its holdings in Unum Group by 9.5% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 36,132 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,847,000 after purchasing an additional 3,143 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,141,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $513,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Unum Group by 22.9% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,213 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $429,000 after buying an additional 1,346 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversified Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the third quarter worth $211,000. 86.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unum Group Company 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.