Q1 Earnings Estimate for Unum Group Issued By Zacks Research

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Unum Group in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, March 25th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the financial services provider will post earnings per share of $2.08 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $2.11. 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 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 announced its quarterly 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 return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 5.65%.The business had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.29 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.03 EPS. 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.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Unum Group from $104.00 to $102.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen lowered Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 6th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Unum Group from $85.00 to $81.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Evercore set a $103.00 target price on Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $94.40.

Unum Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNM opened at $74.33 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $73.84 and a 200 day moving average of $75.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company has a market capitalization of $12.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.20. Unum Group has a 52 week low of $66.81 and a 52 week high of $83.21.

Unum Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $0.46 dividend. 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 (DPR) is currently 43.29%.

Unum Group declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, December 4th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the financial services provider to repurchase up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.47, for a total transaction of $351,624.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 52,268 shares in the company, valued at $3,787,861.96. This represents a 8.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Timothy F. Keaney sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 21,852 shares of company stock worth $1,590,734 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unum Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UNM. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in Unum Group in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in Unum Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its position in Unum Group by 385.2% during the 3rd quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares during the period. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. 86.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Unum Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and a $95 price target, implying significant upside vs. the current share price. KBW Reaffirmation
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus remains constructive overall — a recent compilation shows a “Moderate Buy” consensus on UNM, which supports baseline investor demand. Analyst Consensus
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research slightly raised its FY2028 EPS view (now $10.72 from $10.58), a longer‑term positive but one that may have limited near‑term impact compared with the cuts to nearer-term guidance. Zacks Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut multiple near‑term EPS estimates and kept a “Strong Sell” stance: Q1 2026 to $2.08 (from $2.11), Q2 to $2.18 (from $2.21), Q3 to $2.23 (from $2.25), Q4 2026 to $2.28 (from $2.31/2.34 in different notes), FY2026 to $8.76 (from $8.88) and trimmed FY2027 to $9.72 (from $9.84). Those downward revisions and the negative Zacks rating are the main drivers pressuring the stock today. Zacks Research Cuts

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.