Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) Raised to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued 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.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on UNM. Citigroup reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Unum Group from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of 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 downgraded shares of Unum Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “moderate buy” rating and set a $95.00 price objective on shares of Unum Group in a report on Thursday, March 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $94.40.

Unum Group Price Performance

NYSE UNM traded up $1.60 on Monday, hitting $77.32. 75,129 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,636,447. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $73.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $75.64. The company has a market cap of $12.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Unum Group has a 1-year low of $68.28 and a 1-year high of $83.13.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.11 by ($0.19). The company had revenue of $3.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.29 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 5.65%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.03 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Unum Group

In other Unum Group news, EVP Christopher W. Pyne sold 4,852 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.47, for a total transaction of $351,624.44. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 52,268 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,787,861.96. The trade was a 8.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, 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 stock was 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 $2,150,069. This represents a 10.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 21,852 shares of company stock valued at $1,590,734. 0.93% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Unum Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UNM. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $247,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of Unum Group by 23.9% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,557 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $206,000 after acquiring an additional 493 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Unum Group by 157.4% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,851 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $149,000 after acquiring an additional 1,132 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unum Group by 26.6% in the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 7,939 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $641,000 after acquiring an additional 1,666 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unum Group by 13.2% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 6,445 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $520,000 after acquiring an additional 753 shares during the last quarter. 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,” which can reduce selling pressure and support near‑term sentiment even though the firm remains cautious. Zacks Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Unum confirmed its Q1 2026 earnings release schedule (results due Apr 28; conference call Apr 29). Upcoming results and management commentary could shift guidance or capital return commentary and are a near‑term catalyst for the stock. Earnings Release Notice
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a broader note advising investors to remain neutral on Unum — citing steady growth and capital returns but flagging higher costs and leverage that could pressure margins. This reinforces a cautious market stance absent clearer upside drivers. Zacks Note
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut multiple quarterly and full‑year EPS estimates for UNM (small downgrades across Q1–Q4 2026 and Q1–Q4 2027), and trimmed FY2026 from $8.76 to $8.69 and FY2027 from $9.72 to $9.63. Repeated estimate reductions — even modest — can weigh on investor expectations and cap valuation expansion. Estimate 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.