ProShare Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Position in Unum Group $UNM

ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 439,474 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 16,849 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC owned about 0.26% of Unum Group worth $34,182,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNM. Algebris UK Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 95.7% during the 3rd quarter. Algebris UK Ltd. now owns 389,463 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,269,000 after acquiring an additional 190,454 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its position in Unum Group by 53.5% during the third quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 69,128 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,376,000 after purchasing an additional 24,101 shares during the last quarter. TrueMark Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Unum Group during the second quarter worth about $5,063,000. Swedbank AB purchased a new position in Unum Group during the third quarter worth about $14,644,000. Finally, Strs Ohio boosted its holdings in Unum Group by 12.2% in the 2nd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 44,360 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,583,000 after purchasing an additional 4,814 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE:UNM opened at $71.77 on Wednesday. Unum Group has a 52 week low of $66.81 and a 52 week high of $84.48. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $76.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $75.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

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

Unum Group declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, December 4th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to repurchase up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid 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 yield of 2.6%. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is 43.29%.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In other news, EVP Steven Andrew Zabel sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.38, for a total transaction of $572,850.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 113,807 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,692,578.66. This represents a 6.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Walter Lynn Rice, Jr. sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $657,090. The trade was a 9.15% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.93% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on UNM shares. Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a report on Monday, December 15th. Evercore set a $103.00 price objective on Unum Group in a research report on Friday. Citigroup reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $103.00 price target on Unum Group in a research note on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $97.69.

Unum Group 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.