Algebris UK Ltd. Increases Stock Holdings in Unum Group $UNM

Key Points

• Algebris UK Ltd. boosted its Unum Group stake by 79.7% in the fourth quarter, adding 310,343 shares to reach 699,806 shares valued at about $54.3 million.
• Unum Group reported better-than-expected first-quarter results, with EPS of $2.14 versus $2.07 expected and revenue of $3.36 billion, while also guiding FY 2026 EPS to $8.60-$8.90.
• The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share, or $1.84 annualized, for a yield of 2.2%; analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $93.25.

Algebris UK Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Free Report) by 79.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 699,806 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 310,343 shares during the period. Unum Group accounts for 2.6% of Algebris UK Ltd.'s holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Algebris UK Ltd. owned about 0.42% of Unum Group worth $54,260,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Aspen Investment Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $646,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,567,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Unum Group by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 37,864 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,934,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its stake in shares of Unum Group by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 52,707 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $4,085,000 after purchasing an additional 2,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Unum Group by 115.0% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 107,711 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $8,348,000 after purchasing an additional 57,608 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Unum Group

In other news, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 3,500 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $255,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 29,453 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,150,069. This trade represents a 10.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total value of $961,680.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,587 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,412,922.18. This represents a 21.98% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 20,352 shares of company stock worth $1,568,804. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Unum Group Stock Up 1.9%

UNM opened at $83.81 on Thursday. Unum Group has a 1-year low of $68.28 and a 1-year high of $84.04. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $77.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $76.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a market cap of $13.39 billion, a PE ratio of 18.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.24.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.07. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 5.86%.The business had revenue of $3.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.91 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.04 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Unum Group will post 8.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 24th. Unum Group's dividend payout ratio is 40.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on UNM. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Unum Group from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Evercore set a $103.00 price objective on Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Unum Group from $99.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings cut Unum Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Barclays restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $93.25.

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.

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