Cwm LLC Has $3.34 Million Stake in Unum Group $UNM

Cwm LLC increased its position in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) by 196.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 42,878 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 28,436 shares during the quarter. Cwm LLC’s holdings in Unum Group were worth $3,335,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of UNM. Advisors Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Unum Group by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 6,308 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $514,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. NDVR Inc. increased its stake in Unum Group by 3.3% in the second quarter. NDVR Inc. now owns 4,526 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $366,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the period. Waterfront Wealth Inc. raised its position in Unum Group by 0.5% in the second quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 29,350 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,370,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management lifted its stake in Unum Group by 0.4% during the second quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 42,327 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,418,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Savant Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Unum Group by 0.3% during the second quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 46,440 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,750,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNM opened at $77.54 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.36. The business has a 50-day moving average of $76.41 and a 200-day moving average of $76.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.12, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.20. Unum Group has a fifty-two week low of $66.81 and a fifty-two week high of $84.48.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The financial services provider reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.15 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $3.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.31 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 13.09% and a net margin of 6.99%.Unum Group’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.13 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 24th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 24th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Steven Andrew Zabel sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.38, for a total value of $572,850.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 113,807 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,692,578.66. This represents a 6.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.04, for a total value of $312,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 51,372 shares in the company, valued at $4,009,070.88. The trade was a 7.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,400 shares of company stock valued at $951,160. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on UNM shares. Wolfe Research raised Unum Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Unum Group from $94.00 to $92.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 price target on Unum Group in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $94.91.

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.