Key Points
- Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 Unum shares at an average of $73 for about $657,000, trimming her stake roughly 17.36% to 42,846 shares (transaction disclosed in an SEC filing).
- Unum missed Q4 consensus with EPS of $1.92 (vs. $2.11 expected) and slightly lower revenue, but set FY2026 guidance of $8.60–$8.90 while analysts project around $9.14.
- The board approved a $1.0 billion share buyback (up to ~8.2% of outstanding stock) and the company paid a $0.46 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~2.5%), reflecting active capital returns amid insider sales.
Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) Director Timothy Keaney sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.58, for a total transaction of $326,610.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 38,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,801,007.36. This represents a 10.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.
Unum Group Trading Up 0.3%
NYSE:UNM opened at $73.66 on Friday. Unum Group has a 12 month low of $66.81 and a 12 month high of $84.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.33, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.20. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $76.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $75.18.
Unum Group (NYSE:UNM - Get Free Report) last released 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). The company had revenue of $3.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.29 billion. Unum Group had a return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 5.65%.Unum Group's revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.03 EPS. Unum Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.900 EPS. Analysts expect that Unum Group will post 9.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, December 4th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the financial services provider to buy up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.
Unum Group Dividend Announcement
The company 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. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Unum Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 43.29%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
UNM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings cut Unum Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Unum Group in a report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Unum Group in a report on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Unum Group from $85.00 to $81.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Evercore set a $103.00 price target on shares of Unum Group in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Unum Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $96.75.
View Our Latest Stock Report on Unum Group
Key Stories Impacting Unum Group
Here are the key news stories impacting Unum Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Institutional/hedge-fund interest — An article highlights why hedge funds favor Unum, which can support demand for the shares and provide a catalyst for outperformance if funds increase positions or spotlight the name for other investors. What Makes Unum Group (UNM) Highly Favored by Hedge Funds
- Neutral Sentiment: Directors still hold sizable equity despite recent sales — While two directors trimmed positions, both remain substantial shareholders (tens of thousands of shares), which limits the immediate governance/insider-control impact and suggests sales may be for diversification or personal liquidity rather than a lack of confidence. Cynthia Egan Form 4 Timothy F. Keaney Form 4
- Negative Sentiment: Insider sales disclosed — Director Cynthia Egan sold 9,000 shares (~17% haircut to her position) at an average $73.00 and Director Timothy Keaney sold 4,500 shares (~10% haircut) at ~$72.58. Large/timed insider sales can be interpreted negatively by investors, especially when coupled with downward analyst revisions. Cynthia Egan Form 4 Timothy F. Keaney Form 4
- Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cuts EPS estimates across multiple quarters and fiscal years — Zacks lowered Q1–Q4 2026 and FY2026 estimates and also trimmed FY2027 and quarterly projections. The downward revisions (FY2026 to $8.88 from $9.08; FY2027 to $9.84 from $9.99) increase near-term earnings risk versus consensus and could pressure the stock multiple if others follow. (Source: Zacks research notes)
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unum Group
Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Unum Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,108,919,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Unum Group by 4.0% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,734,937 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $446,063,000 after acquiring an additional 223,095 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Unum Group by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,653,246 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $438,127,000 after acquiring an additional 26,753 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,791,712 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $293,868,000 after acquiring an additional 13,832 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Unum Group by 7.0% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,341,589 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $271,862,000 after purchasing an additional 219,076 shares during the last quarter. 86.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
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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