Q1 Earnings Estimate for Unum Group Issued By Zacks Research

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) – Research analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Unum Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, March 25th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the financial services provider will post earnings of $2.08 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $2.11. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Unum Group’s current full-year earnings is $9.14 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Unum Group’s Q2 2026 earnings at $2.18 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $2.23 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.28 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.76 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.30 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $9.72 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $10.72 EPS.

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 return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 5.65%.The company had revenue of $3.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.29 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.03 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen cut Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Unum Group from $104.00 to $102.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $94.40.

Unum Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNM stock opened at $72.87 on Friday. Unum Group has a 52 week low of $66.81 and a 52 week high of $83.21. The company has a market capitalization of $11.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.15, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $73.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $75.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.37.

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

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Unum Group news, Director Timothy F. Keaney sold 4,500 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.58, for a total value of $326,610.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 38,592 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,801,007.36. The trade was a 10.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $255,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 29,453 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,150,069. The trade was a 10.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 21,852 shares of company stock worth $1,590,734 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UNM. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $247,000. MAI Capital Management lifted its stake in Unum Group by 31.4% during the second quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 2,570 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $208,000 after purchasing an additional 614 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 27.6% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 497,002 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,138,000 after purchasing an additional 107,448 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unum Group by 25.3% in the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 204,658 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $16,528,000 after purchasing an additional 41,316 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $673,000. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unum Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Unum Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a “moderate buy” on UNM and maintained a $95 price target (implies ~30% upside versus current levels), supporting a longer‑term constructive view. KBW reaffirmation
• Positive Sentiment: Consensus analyst positioning: several outlets report a consensus “moderate buy” thread among analysts, which can provide support versus more bearish lone ratings. Consensus recommendation
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2028 EPS view modestly (to $10.72 from $10.58) — a longer‑horizon improvement but unlikely to offset near‑term concerns by itself. Zacks FY2028 note
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut multiple near‑term quarterly and annual EPS estimates and reiterated a “Strong Sell” rating: Q1 2026 to $2.08 (from $2.11), Q2 2026 to $2.18 (from $2.21), Q3 2026 to $2.23 (from $2.25), Q4 2026 to $2.28 (from $2.31/2.34 reported in notes), FY2026 to $8.76 (from $8.88), and FY2027 to $9.72 (from $9.84). Those downgrades increase near‑term earnings risk and are the primary reason for downward stock pressure. Zacks cuts

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.