Franklin Resources Inc. Cuts Holdings in Unum Group $UNM

Franklin Resources Inc. lessened its position in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 5.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 729,635 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 41,696 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Unum Group were worth $58,925,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UNM. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in Unum Group by 0.3% during the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 60,370 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,918,000 after buying an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 1st quarter valued at $646,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,416,124 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $115,358,000 after acquiring an additional 6,648 shares in the last quarter. BTC Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Unum Group by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. BTC Capital Management Inc. now owns 71,836 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,731,000 after purchasing an additional 3,399 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. boosted its position in Unum Group by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 290,382 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $23,654,000 after purchasing an additional 21,770 shares during the period. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unum Group Stock Down 0.1%

UNM stock opened at $75.61 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $76.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $76.70. The company has a market capitalization of $12.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.04, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.37. Unum Group has a twelve month low of $66.81 and a twelve month high of $84.48.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The financial services provider reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.15 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.31 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 11.77% and a return on equity of 13.44%. The company’s revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. Unum Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 24th were issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 24th. Unum Group’s payout ratio is currently 35.87%.

Insider Activity at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, EVP Steven Andrew Zabel sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $8,692,578.66. This represents a 6.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.04, for a total value of $312,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 51,372 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,009,070.88. The trade was a 7.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on UNM shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Unum Group from $100.00 to $98.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Wolfe Research upgraded Unum Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $79.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Unum Group from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Unum Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $94.67.

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.