Zacks Research Decreases Earnings Estimates for Unum Group

by · The Markets Daily

Unum Group (NYSE:UNMFree Report) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2027 EPS estimates for Unum Group in a research note issued on Wednesday, March 25th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the financial services provider will earn $2.48 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast 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.

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

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Evercore set a $103.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Citigroup reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price 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. Morgan Stanley cut their price target 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target 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. One equities research 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $94.40.

View Our Latest Analysis on UNM

Unum Group Price Performance

Unum Group stock opened at $72.93 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 52-week low of $66.81 and a 52-week high of $83.21. The firm has a market cap of $11.94 billion, a PE ratio of 17.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.20. The company’s 50 day moving average is $73.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $75.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unum Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNM. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Unum Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Unum Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in Unum Group during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.47, for a total value of $351,624.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 52,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,787,861.96. This represents a 8.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Lisa G. Iglesias sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $255,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 29,453 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,150,069. This represents a 10.62% 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 have sold 21,852 shares of company stock worth $1,590,734. 0.93% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Unum Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. 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 payout ratio is 43.29%.

Unum Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, December 4th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy up to 8.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

About Unum Group

(Get Free Report)

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.

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