Zacks Research Brokers Cut Earnings Estimates for Unum Group

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) – Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2027 EPS estimates for shares of Unum Group in a report issued on Wednesday, March 25th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the financial services provider will post earnings per share of $2.48 for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $2.51. 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 2027 earnings at $2.50 EPS and Q3 2027 earnings at $2.44 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 for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.19). The firm had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.29 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 5.65% and a return on equity of 12.62%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.03 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on UNM. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Unum Group from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Weiss Ratings lowered Unum Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Monday, January 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $94.40.

Unum Group Stock Down 0.0%

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

Institutional Trading of Unum Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UNM. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the third quarter worth $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Unum Group by 385.2% in the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In related news, Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director owned 42,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,127,758. This trade represents a 17.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 29,453 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,150,069. This trade represents a 10.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 21,852 shares of company stock worth $1,590,734 over the last ninety days. 0.93% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend 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 43.29%.

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

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.