Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Unum Group’s Q1 2026 earnings at $2.06 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $2.17 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $2.22 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.25 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.69 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.45 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.49 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.42 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.26 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $9.63 EPS.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Unum Group from $104.00 to $102.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “moderate buy” rating and set a $95.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Unum Group from $85.00 to $81.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $94.40.

Unum Group Price Performance

NYSE UNM opened at $77.62 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Unum Group has a 12-month low of $68.28 and a 12-month high of $83.13. The company has a market capitalization of $12.71 billion, a PE ratio of 18.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.19. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $73.52 and its 200-day moving average is $75.65.

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). Unum Group had a net margin of 5.65% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The business 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 earned $2.03 earnings per share. Unum Group’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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Unum Group will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Unum Group’s payout ratio is 43.29%.

Insider Activity at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 3,500 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $255,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 29,453 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,150,069. The trade was a 10.62% 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, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.47, for a total transaction of $351,624.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 52,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,787,861.96. This trade represents a 8.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 21,852 shares of company stock valued at $1,590,734. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unum Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNM. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in Unum Group during the third quarter worth $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its position in Unum Group by 385.2% during the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Unum Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Unum from “strong sell” to “hold”, removing the deep negative rating that likely reduced selling pressure and helped lift the stock. Zacks Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks commentary lays out a balanced view: UNM trades at a valuation discount with steady premium growth and strong capital returns, but rising costs and leverage could pressure margins — a mixed signal that supports the “hold/neutral” stance. Here’s Why Investors Should Stay Neutral on Unum Group for Now
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered a series of quarterly and FY EPS estimates (small but broad downgrades across Q1–Q4 2026 and Q1–Q4 2027, with FY2026 cut to ~8.69 and FY2027 to ~9.63), signaling slightly weaker near‑term earnings outlook and reducing upside to consensus. These downward revisions can cap multiple expansion and weigh on sentiment. MarketBeat: Zacks estimates

Unum Group Company Profile

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.