Unum Group (UNM) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.46 on February 20th

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of 0.46 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, February 20th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th.

Unum Group has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 16 years. Unum Group has a dividend payout ratio of 18.8% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Unum Group to earn $9.87 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.84 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 18.6%.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of UNM opened at $75.81 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $12.68 billion, a PE ratio of 14.75, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.20. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $77.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $75.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Unum Group has a 12-month low of $66.81 and a 12-month high of $84.48.

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

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In other news, EVP Steven Andrew Zabel sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.38, for a total value of $572,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 113,807 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,692,578.66. This represents a 6.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.04, for a total transaction of $312,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 51,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,009,070.88. This trade represents a 7.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 12,400 shares of company stock worth $951,160 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.93% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UNM. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Unum Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,113,353,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Unum Group by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,734,937 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $446,063,000 after buying an additional 223,095 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Unum Group by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,777,880 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $293,837,000 after acquiring an additional 179,401 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Unum Group by 7.0% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,341,589 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $271,862,000 after acquiring an additional 219,076 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its position in shares of Unum Group by 63.7% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 2,516,126 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $195,704,000 after buying an additional 978,937 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

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.