Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Invests $672,000 in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM)

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 9,182 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $672,000.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 300.0% in the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 396 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 297 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 26.4% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 766 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 28.8% in the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 800 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP increased its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 4,794.7% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 930 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 911 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Stock Down 0.3 %

NYSE:UNM opened at $74.75 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $74.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.61. The company has a market capitalization of $13.65 billion, a PE ratio of 7.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.29 and a quick ratio of 0.28. Unum Group has a 1-year low of $48.38 and a 1-year high of $79.43.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 14.91%. On average, equities analysts predict that Unum Group will post 9.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, January 24th were given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 24th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.74%.

Unum Group declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, February 18th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to reacquire up to 7.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on UNM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $79.00 target price (up from $74.00) on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Unum Group from $82.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $91.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Unum Group from $81.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on Unum Group from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $81.17.

Insider Activity at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, EVP Timothy Gerald Arnold sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.92, for a total transaction of $769,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 54,827 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,217,292.84. This represents a 15.43 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.93% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Unum Group 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.