AlphaQuest LLC Sells 3,921 Shares of Unum Group $UNM

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC reduced its stake in Unum Group by 60.1%, holding 2,605 shares worth $212,000 at the end of the last reporting period.
• A variety of institutional investors showed significant interest in Unum Group, with over 86% of the stock currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
• Analysts have mixed views on Unum Group with price targets ranging from $87.00 to $96.00, reflecting an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $91.15.

AlphaQuest LLC decreased its position in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Free Report) by 60.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,605 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 3,921 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in Unum Group were worth $212,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNM. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of Unum Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $113,962,000. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI bought a new position in shares of Unum Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $105,199,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Unum Group by 155.6% in the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,278,473 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $185,604,000 after purchasing an additional 1,387,139 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the first quarter worth about $93,287,000. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter worth about $59,561,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the company's stock.

Unum Group Price Performance

UNM stock traded up $0.17 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $72.95. The company had a trading volume of 717,182 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,421,328. The company has a market capitalization of $12.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.38. Unum Group has a 12-month low of $52.71 and a 12-month high of $84.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $75.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $77.54.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.16). The company had revenue of $3.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.35 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 13.44% and a net margin of 11.77%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.16 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.500-8.50 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 25th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 25th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is a positive change from Unum Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. Unum Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.01%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on UNM. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Unum Group from $85.00 to $79.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 18th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Unum Group from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Barclays set a $96.00 price objective on shares of Unum Group and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Unum Group from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unum Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $91.15.

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.