Q1 Earnings Estimate for Unum Group Issued By Zacks Research

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) – Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2027 earnings per share estimates for Unum Group in a report issued on Thursday, February 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the financial services provider will post earnings of $2.51 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $2.48. 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 2027 earnings at $2.53 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.46 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $10.58 EPS.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.19). The firm had revenue of $3.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.29 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 5.65%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.03 earnings per share. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings cut Unum Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Unum Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $96.75.

Unum Group Price Performance

Shares of UNM opened at $73.66 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.20. Unum Group has a twelve month low of $66.81 and a twelve month high of $84.48. The company has a 50 day moving average of $76.57 and a 200-day moving average of $75.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Unum Group by 52.1% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 199,133 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $15,433,000 after acquiring an additional 68,176 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 88.0% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 540,144 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $42,067,000 after purchasing an additional 252,870 shares during the last quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 21,140 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,638,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group in the 4th quarter valued at $791,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Unum Group by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 6,001 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $465,000 after buying an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $657,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 42,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,127,758. The trade was a 17.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Timothy F. Keaney sold 4,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.58, for a total transaction of $326,610.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 38,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,801,007.36. This represents a 10.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 14,400 shares of company stock worth $1,049,760. 0.93% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

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

Key Unum Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Institutional/hedge-fund interest — An article highlights why hedge funds favor Unum, which can support demand for the shares and provide a catalyst for outperformance if funds increase positions or spotlight the name for other investors. What Makes Unum Group (UNM) Highly Favored by Hedge Funds
• Neutral Sentiment: Directors still hold sizable equity despite recent sales — While two directors trimmed positions, both remain substantial shareholders (tens of thousands of shares), which limits the immediate governance/insider-control impact and suggests sales may be for diversification or personal liquidity rather than a lack of confidence. Cynthia Egan Form 4 Timothy F. Keaney Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sales disclosed — Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares (~17% haircut to her position) at an average $73.00 and Director Timothy Keaney sold 4,500 shares (~10% haircut) at ~$72.58. Large/timed insider sales can be interpreted negatively by investors, especially when coupled with downward analyst revisions. Cynthia Egan Form 4 Timothy F. Keaney Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cuts EPS estimates across multiple quarters and fiscal years — Zacks lowered Q1–Q4 2026 and FY2026 estimates and also trimmed FY2027 and quarterly projections. The downward revisions (FY2026 to $8.88 from $9.08; FY2027 to $9.84 from $9.99) increase near-term earnings risk versus consensus and could pressure the stock multiple if others follow. (Source: Zacks research notes)

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.