Zacks Research Forecasts Unum Group’s Q1 Earnings (NYSE:UNM)

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) – Analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2027 earnings estimates for shares of Unum Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, March 25th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the financial services provider will post earnings of $2.48 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $2.51. Zacks Research 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 2027 earnings at $2.50 EPS and Q3 2027 earnings at $2.44 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Evercore set a $103.00 price target on Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a “moderate buy” rating and set a $95.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Unum Group from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $94.40.

Unum Group Price Performance

UNM stock opened at $72.87 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $73.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $75.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.20. Unum Group has a 1 year low of $66.81 and a 1 year high of $83.21.

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

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Unum Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.29%.

Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan 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 repurchase up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $657,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 42,846 shares in the company, valued at $3,127,758. The trade was a 17.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $255,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 29,453 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,150,069. The trade was a 10.62% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 21,852 shares of company stock valued at $1,590,734. Company insiders own 0.93% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNM. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,108,919,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its stake in shares of Unum Group by 63.7% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 2,516,126 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $195,704,000 after purchasing an additional 978,937 shares in the last quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI acquired a new position in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $58,860,000. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its position in shares of Unum Group by 365.3% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 930,534 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $72,116,000 after purchasing an additional 730,534 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Unum Group by 35.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,339,289 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $181,622,000 after buying an additional 607,684 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Unum Group

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.