O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Sells 1,373 Shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM)

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC cut its position in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 1.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 118,794 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 1,373 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Unum Group were worth $8,676,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Citigroup Inc. grew its stake in shares of Unum Group by 15.1% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 62,491 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,714,000 after buying an additional 8,186 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its holdings in Unum Group by 95.7% during the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 20,926 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,244,000 after acquiring an additional 10,235 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in Unum Group by 75.6% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 116,033 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,897,000 after acquiring an additional 49,960 shares during the last quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC increased its stake in Unum Group by 12.5% in the third quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 12,136 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $721,000 after purchasing an additional 1,350 shares during the period. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its position in shares of Unum Group by 2.1% during the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 211,660 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $12,581,000 after purchasing an additional 4,349 shares during the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Unum Group Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of Unum Group stock opened at $81.53 on Tuesday. Unum Group has a 52-week low of $48.38 and a 52-week high of $84.48. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $77.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $71.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $14.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.61, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.74.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by ($0.11). Unum Group had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 13.81%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 24th were paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.06%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 24th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.74%.

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, February 18th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to reacquire up to 7.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on UNM. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Unum Group from $76.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Unum Group from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $79.00 price objective (up previously from $74.00) on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Unum Group from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Unum Group from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $86.62.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 7,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.75, for a total value of $579,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,284 shares in the company, valued at $2,588,751. This trade represents a 18.28 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Richard P. Mckenney sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.99, for a total transaction of $4,099,500.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 980,637 shares in the company, valued at approximately $80,402,427.63. This represents a 4.85 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.93% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Company 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.