Unum Group $UNM Shares Sold by Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.

Key Points

• Crossmark Global Holdings cut its Unum Group stake by 63.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 19,551 shares and leaving it with 11,221 shares valued at about $870,000.
• Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with analysts assigning a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $93.25; several firms recently raised or trimmed their targets, including Wells Fargo to $100.
• Unum posted strong quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share, equal to a 2.3% annualized yield.

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. reduced its stake in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Free Report) by 63.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,221 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 19,551 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.'s holdings in Unum Group were worth $870,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Algebris UK Ltd. raised its position in shares of Unum Group by 95.7% during the 3rd quarter. Algebris UK Ltd. now owns 389,463 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,269,000 after buying an additional 190,454 shares during the period. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,356,916 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $105,161,000 after acquiring an additional 68,957 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in Unum Group by 1,167.7% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 153,696 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $11,911,000 after acquiring an additional 141,572 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its position in Unum Group by 63.7% in the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 2,516,126 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $195,704,000 after acquiring an additional 978,937 shares during the period. Finally, Vest Financial LLC increased its stake in Unum Group by 5.5% during the third quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 653,527 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $50,831,000 after acquiring an additional 33,807 shares during the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on UNM shares. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Unum Group from $88.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen raised Unum Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Unum Group from $99.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Unum Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $93.25.

Insider Activity at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.47, for a total value of $351,624.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 52,268 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,787,861.96. The trade was a 8.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $255,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 29,453 shares in the company, valued at $2,150,069. This trade represents a 10.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 33,852 shares of company stock worth $2,552,414 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Unum Group Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE UNM opened at $80.37 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The business's 50 day moving average is $76.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $75.99. Unum Group has a 52-week low of $68.28 and a 52-week high of $83.13. The firm has a market cap of $12.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.47, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.24.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.91 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.04 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.90 EPS. Research analysts predict that Unum Group will post 8.73 EPS for the current year.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. Unum Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.00%.

More Unum Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Unum Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unum remains above the latest consensus-style expectations for near-term earnings, and Zacks still has a Hold rating rather than a bearish call, which may limit downside pressure.

Unum Group Company 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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