Tounjian Advisory Partners LLC Invests $897,000 in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM)

Tounjian Advisory Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 11,018 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $897,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNM. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $45,000. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $58,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its holdings in Unum Group by 36.5% during the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 958 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Unum Group by 30.0% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,206 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $88,000 after buying an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Elizabeth Claire Ahmed sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total transaction of $800,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 51,170 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,093,600. This trade represents a 16.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on UNM shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of Unum Group from $103.00 to $102.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. UBS Group set a $89.00 price target on shares of Unum Group and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Unum Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $95.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $88.29.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNM opened at $80.43 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $78.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $77.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Unum Group has a 52 week low of $48.38 and a 52 week high of $84.48.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by ($0.15). The business had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.34 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 14.91%. Unum Group’s quarterly revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.12 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group announced that its board has initiated a stock 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 purchase up to 7.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 25th were given a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.09%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 25th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.79%.

About Unum Group

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.