Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Sells 17,595 Shares of Unum Group $UNM

Key Points

• Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund cut its Unum Group stake by 20.8% in the first quarter, selling 17,595 shares and leaving it with 66,981 shares valued at about $4.9 million.
• Unum Group reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.14 versus $2.07 expected and revenue of $3.36 billion, up 8.5% from a year ago.
• The company raised its dividend to $0.505 per share quarterly, and analysts remain constructive overall, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $97.25.

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund trimmed its holdings in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Free Report) by 20.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 66,981 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 17,595 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund's holdings in Unum Group were worth $4,892,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC purchased a new stake in Unum Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Unum Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC grew its stake in Unum Group by 385.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unum Group Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of UNM opened at $89.03 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $14.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.35, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.35. Unum Group has a fifty-two week low of $68.28 and a fifty-two week high of $93.21. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $87.24 and a 200-day moving average price of $79.73.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $3.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.91 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.86% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.04 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 8.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $0.505 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This is a positive change from Unum Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.02 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Unum Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.00%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.14, for a total transaction of $961,680.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,587 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,412,922.18. This trade represents a 21.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on UNM. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Unum Group from $100.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group set a $94.00 price objective on shares of Unum Group in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings raised Unum Group from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Atlantic Securities set a $88.00 price target on Unum Group in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on Unum Group from $88.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unum Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $97.25.

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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