Argent Trust Co Invests $3 Million in Unum Group $UNM

Argent Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 38,517 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,996,000.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of UNM. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,754,000. Caitlin John LLC increased its holdings in Unum Group by 14.9% in the third quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 5,839 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $454,000 after buying an additional 755 shares in the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its position in shares of Unum Group by 22.9% in the third quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 49,907 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,882,000 after acquiring an additional 9,300 shares during the period. AlphaCore Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Unum Group by 6.0% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 104,063 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,094,000 after acquiring an additional 5,875 shares in the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its position in shares of Unum Group by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 97,275 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,566,000 after acquiring an additional 1,268 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Stock Performance

NYSE:UNM opened at $71.68 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $11.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.20. Unum Group has a twelve month low of $66.81 and a twelve month high of $84.48. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $75.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $75.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.92 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.19). Unum Group had a net margin of 5.65% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The business had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.03 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Unum Group’s payout ratio is currently 43.29%.

Unum Group declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, December 4th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to repurchase up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Unum Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Citigroup reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Unum Group from $85.00 to $81.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $96.58.

Insider Activity

In other Unum Group news, Director Timothy F. Keaney sold 4,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.58, for a total value of $326,610.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 38,592 shares in the company, valued at $2,801,007.36. The trade was a 10.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Walter Lynn Rice, Jr. sold 900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.50, for a total transaction of $66,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $657,090. This trade represents a 9.15% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 14,400 shares of company stock valued at $1,049,760. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Unum Group

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.