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Unum Group (UNM)
NYSE:UNM

Unum Group (UNM) AI Stock Analysis

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UNM

Unum Group

(NYSE:UNM)

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Neutral 63 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:63Neutral
Price Target:
$76.00
▲(3.56% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/18/26
UNM scores as moderately attractive primarily due to solid capitalization and a cautiously positive 2026 outlook with planned shareholder returns. The score is held back by the 2025 profitability and cash-flow downturn and weak current technicals (price below key moving averages with negative momentum). Valuation and the dividend are supportive but not strong enough to offset the recent earnings volatility.
Positive Factors
Strong Capital Buffers
A ~440% RBC ratio and multi‑billion holdco cash provide durable financial flexibility. That capital cushion supports ongoing dividend increases and planned buybacks, absorbs underwriting volatility, and lets management fund strategic initiatives without forcing near‑term asset sales or liquidity hits.
High Core ROE
Sustained mid‑teens to mid‑20s ROE in core lines signals underwriting strength and efficient capital deployment. High core returns generate internal capital, support shareholder returns over time, and reflect competitive pricing/selection in employer‑sponsored disability and life products.
Material Closed‑Block De‑risking
Ceding ~20% of LTC reserves and >$4B of reserve reductions materially lowers legacy longevity/morbidity exposure. This structural de‑risking should reduce earnings volatility from legacy blocks, clarify core operating results, and improve capital durability over the medium term.
Negative Factors
2025 Profitability Reset
A sharp margin and earnings drop signals underlying underwriting and/or expense pressure. Such a reset reduces profit predictability and compresses organic capital generation, meaning future shareholder returns or reinvestment rely more on sustaining improved claims trends or consistent underwriting remediation.
Group Disability Benefit‑Ratio Volatility
Group disability is core to the franchise; elevated and variable benefit ratios directly erode margins and drive earnings swings. Persistent claim severity, lower recoveries, or mortality variability can keep benefit ratios high, making multi‑quarter profit recovery and forecasting more difficult.
Weaker Cash Generation in 2025
A meaningful step‑down in operating and free cash flow constrains durable funding for buybacks, dividends, and investments. Even if FCF still covered net income in 2025, ongoing lower cash conversion would force tougher capital allocation decisions and reduce margin for error against underwriting or investment setbacks.

Unum Group (UNM) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Unum Group Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionUnum Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial protection benefit solutions primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Poland. It operates through Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, and Closed Block segments. The company offers group long-term and short-term disability, group life, and accidental death and dismemberment products; supplemental and voluntary products, such as individual disability, voluntary benefits, and dental and vision products; and accident, sickness, disability, life, and cancer and critical illness products. It also provides group pension, individual life and corporate-owned life insurance, reinsurance pools and management operations, and other products. The company sells its products primarily to employers for the benefit of employees. Unum Group sells its products through field sales personnel, independent brokers, consultants, and independent contractor agency sales force. The company was founded in 1848 and is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
How the Company Makes MoneyUnum Group generates revenue primarily through the underwriting of insurance products. The company earns money by collecting premiums from policyholders in exchange for coverage. Key revenue streams include group long-term disability insurance, group life insurance, and supplemental health products. Unum also invests the premiums collected in various financial instruments, generating investment income. Additionally, the company benefits from partnerships with employers, providing tailored employee benefits packages that enhance employee retention and satisfaction. Factors such as the growth of the workforce, increasing awareness of the importance of disability and life insurance, and strong relationships with brokers and employers contribute to Unum's earnings.

Unum Group Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 05, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Apr 28, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presented a mix of pronounced strengths — solid top-line growth across core operations (notably Colonial and International), strong capital metrics (RBC ~440%, $3.2B holdco cash), successful LTC de-risking actions and continued digital adoption — alongside near-term profitability pressure driven by higher-than-expected benefits experience and quarter-to-quarter volatility (notably in group disability and some international claims). Management provided a constructive 2026 outlook (4%–7% premium growth, 8%–12% EPS growth on a redefined basis), committed to shareholder returns, and reiterated capital flexibility. Given strong capitalization, clear progress on legacy risks, and an optimistic but realistic outlook balanced against the earnings miss and margin variability, the overall tone is cautiously positive.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Top-line Growth in Core Operations
Core operations premium grew ~4.5% on a constant-currency basis excluding transaction impacts; reported core premium +3.7% for full year and +2.9% in Q4. Core operations sales finished the year up 1.1% and are expected to grow 4%–7% in 2026.
Strong Premium Momentum in Colonial and International
Colonial Life sales increased 10% in Q4 and 5.3% for the full year; Colonial full-year premium +3.1% to $1.8B. International premiums grew 11.5% in Q4 and 10% for the full year to $1.1B.
High Returns on Equity from Core Operations
Adjusted ROE for core operations was approximately 20% for both the quarter and full year; management expects Unum US ROE in mid-20s and group disability ROE >25% in 2026.
Capital Strength and Shareholder Returns
Year-end statutory capital: risk-based capital ~440% and $3.2B holding company cash. Company increased dividend by 10% in 2025, repurchased ~$1B of stock (returned roughly what was generated), and plans ~$1B repurchases and a 10% dividend increase for 2026.
Closed-Block De-risking Progress
Completed reinsurance that ceded roughly 20% of long-term care (LTC) reserves and an internal reinsurance action, reducing LTC reserves by more than $4B in 2025; removed morbidity and mortality improvement assumptions and discontinued new employee coverage on existing group LTC cases (block in full runoff).
Digital Adoption and Persistency
Over one-third of core premium associated with customers using digital capabilities (HR Connect, Broker Connect, MyUnum, etc.). Persistency remains high with U.S. Group persistency of 90.2%, and digital adoption correlates with stronger engagement and 2%–4% higher persistency for HR Connect customers.
Positive 2026 Outlook with EPS Growth Guidance
Management expects adjusted after-tax operating EPS of $8.60–$8.90 for 2026 (8%–12% growth versus redefined 2025 base of $7.93), company-wide premium growth of 4%–7%, and free cash flow generation of $1.2B–$1.4B.
Alternative Portfolio Performance Improvement
Alternative investment portfolio largely backing LTC generated $25.9M in Q4 income, translating to an annualized Q4 return of 7.6% (full-year yield 6.4%), showing improving momentum versus earlier 2025 levels.
Negative Updates
Earnings and Statutory Results Below Expectations
Full-year adjusted EPS was $8.13 (below management expectations), full-year after-tax adjusted operating earnings $1.4B (or $8.13/share) and full-year statutory earnings $1.1B, which missed the prior $1.3B–$1.6B expectation.
Elevated Benefit Ratios and Volatility in Group Disability
Unum US group disability benefit ratio was 64.2% in Q4 and 62.4% for the full year (normalizing from historically low 59% in 2024). Group disability adjusted operating income declined 22.8% year-over-year to $479.8M for the full year; Q4 AOI down vs prior year.
Segment Earnings Pressure and Declines
Unum US before-tax adjusted operating income in Q4 decreased 13.1% YoY and full-year AOI decreased 11.6%. Unum International underlying earnings declined 11.7% in Q4 ($33.2M) and 3.5% for the full year ($152.3M) due to unfavorable UK group disability claims; Colonial AOI down 7.2% in Q4 and 0.7% for the year.
Supplemental & Voluntary Earnings Weakness
Adjusted operating income for supplemental & voluntary lines declined 8.2% in Q4 to $95.5M and was flat for the full year at $472.7M; Q4 results were impacted by higher benefits experience across product lines.
Corporate Segment Costs Elevated
Corporate produced a loss of $51.1M in Q4 and a full-year loss of $171.6M (improved vs $191.2M loss in 2024) driven by elevated staffing and IT costs.
Closed-Block Volatility and Ongoing Legacy Exposure
Despite derisking actions, Closed Block produced modest adjusted operating income ($21.1M in Q4, $63.5M FY) and management changed reporting to move Closed Block earnings below the line starting 2026, underscoring remaining legacy volatility; LTC net premium ratio remained high at 97.5% in Q4.
Investment Yield Below Long-Term Target
Alternative portfolio Q4 annualized return of 7.6% improved but remains below the stated long-term expectation of 8%–10% (full-year yield 6.4%), indicating investment income is still recovering.
Specific Drivers of Elevated Losses in Q4
Q4 group disability was driven higher by lower average size of recoveries (~5% below expectations) and unusually low claimant mortality counts (about 10% lower than expected) — both identified as contributors to quarter-to-quarter benefit ratio volatility.
Company Guidance
Unum guided to a solid 2026 outlook: core premium growth of 4%–7% (Unum US 4%–6%) with 2025 core premium up ~3.7% (≈4.5% adjusted) and core operations premium/CAGR to ~$10B, adjusted after‑tax operating EPS of $8.60–$8.90 (≈8%–12% growth off a redefined 2025 base of $7.93; reported 2025 adjusted EPS $8.13), continued strong returns (core ROE ~20% in 2025; group disability ROE >25% at a 62%–64% benefit ratio target for 2026 and not expected >65%), U.S. Group persistency ~90.2%, Colonial premium growth ~2.2%–4% with a 48%–50% benefit ratio and high‑teens ROE (Colonial sales +10% Q4, +5.3% FY), International top‑line momentum after 10% FY growth with a 2026 benefit ratio target of 70%–72%, supplemental/voluntary quarterly earnings ~$120M–$130M with a 48%–50% benefit ratio, a company expense ratio target ~22%, corporate losses ~$50M/quarter, capital generation $1.4B–$1.6B (statutory $1.2B–$1.4B) and free cash flow $1.2B–$1.4B, ~$1B share repurchase plan plus a 10% dividend increase (~$300M) (deploying ~100% of FCF), and year‑end capital targets of 400%–425% RBC, $2.0B–$2.5B holdco liquidity and <25% leverage (company exited 2025 with 440% RBC and $3.2B holdco cash); Closed Block will be excluded from adjusted operating results beginning Q1 2026, with ~$2.2B of protection, >$4B of LTC reserve reductions completed, Q4 LTC net premium ratio ~97.5%, and alternative portfolio Q4 annualized yield 7.6% (FY 6.4%; long‑term target 8%–10%).

Unum Group Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Balance sheet strength is solid with moderate, stable leverage (debt-to-equity ~0.31–0.39; 2025 at 0.37) and sizable equity, but 2025 saw a sharp earnings reset (net margin 13.9% to 5.8%; net income $1.78B to $0.74B) and a meaningful step-down in operating cash flow and free cash flow versus prior years, raising profitability and cash-generation volatility concerns.
Income Statement
62
Positive
Revenue has been broadly stable over the last several years (low-single-digit growth most years), but 2025 showed a slight decline (-1.7%) and a sharp profitability pullback. Net margin fell from 13.9% (2024) to 5.8% (2025) and net income dropped from $1.78B to $0.74B, signaling weaker underwriting/claims experience or higher expenses. Positively, 2020–2024 showed generally improving profitability versus earlier years, but the 2025 reset raises earnings volatility concerns.
Balance Sheet
78
Positive
Leverage looks contained for the period shown, with debt-to-equity staying in a fairly tight band (~0.31–0.39) and 2025 at 0.37. Equity remains sizable ($10.19B in 2025) relative to debt ($3.77B), supporting balance-sheet resilience. The main watch-out is the variability in returns on equity (from ~7% in 2020/2025 to ~16% in 2022/2024), which suggests profitability can swing even if leverage is stable.
Cash Flow
56
Neutral
Cash generation was strong and well-aligned with earnings through 2024 (free cash flow ran at ~89%–93% of net income in 2022–2024, with operating cash flow comfortably above net income). In 2025, cash flow weakened materially: operating cash flow fell to $0.69B (from $1.51B) and free cash flow declined to $0.56B (from $1.39B), with free cash flow down ~19% year over year. While free cash flow still covered net income in 2025 (~81%), the step-down in cash generation is a key near-term risk.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue13.05B12.79B12.31B11.88B11.84B
Gross Profit4.99B4.74B4.03B3.93B3.32B
EBITDA1.27B2.57B1.94B2.05B1.57B
Net Income738.50M1.78B1.28B1.41B981.00M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets64.09B62.35B63.61B61.53B71.23B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments158.20M162.80M146.00M119.20M75.00M
Total Debt3.90B3.86B3.54B3.43B3.58B
Total Liabilities52.98B51.39B53.96B52.79B59.81B
Stockholders Equity11.12B10.96B9.65B8.73B11.42B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow555.40M1.39B1.07B1.32B1.28B
Operating Cash Flow687.70M1.51B1.20B1.42B1.39B
Investing Cash Flow548.90M-344.40M-725.90M-955.90M-1.34B
Financing Cash Flow-1.24B-1.15B-450.10M-418.60M-168.90M

Unum Group Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price73.39
Price Trends
50DMA
75.64
Negative
100DMA
75.46
Negative
200DMA
75.54
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-1.05
Positive
RSI
38.52
Neutral
STOCH
33.44
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For UNM, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 73.39 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 72.88, below the 50-day MA of 75.64, and below the 200-day MA of 75.54, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -1.05 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 38.52 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 33.44 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for UNM.

Unum Group Risk Analysis

Unum Group disclosed 30 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Unum Group reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Unum Group Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
78
Outperform
$11.38B9.7420.59%0.74%3.73%17.47%
74
Outperform
$8.31B11.2231.83%1.59%5.63%67.39%
68
Neutral
$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
64
Neutral
$3.15B15.256.05%2.91%-4.58%
63
Neutral
$11.57B18.106.69%2.22%1.80%-44.44%
63
Neutral
$6.48B2.8212.27%3.93%35.76%636.97%
58
Neutral
$7.85B276.830.27%2.98%24.94%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
UNM
Unum Group
70.66
-8.74
-11.01%
LNC
Lincoln National
34.08
-0.65
-1.87%
PRI
Primerica
261.14
-20.15
-7.16%
GL
Globe Life
144.69
19.50
15.57%
JXN
Jackson Financial Incorporation
111.01
26.46
31.29%
FG
F&G Annuities & Life Inc
22.71
-18.04
-44.27%

Unum Group Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Unum Group Reports Q4 2025 Results and 2026 Outlook
Positive
Feb 5, 2026

On February 5, 2026, Unum Group reported fourth-quarter 2025 net income of $174.1 million, down from $348.7 million a year earlier, while after-tax adjusted operating income reached $322.3 million, reflecting higher benefits expenses and several one-time items, including pension-related settlement losses and reinsurance amortization. For full-year 2025, the company delivered 3.7% core operations premium growth on a constant-currency basis and a 20.5% adjusted operating return on equity, supported by a strong balance sheet with $2.3 billion in holding company liquidity and a risk-based capital ratio of about 440%, enabling $1.3 billion in capital returns to shareholders and book value per share growth. Segment results were mixed, with Unum US adjusted operating income falling 13.1% as group disability earnings were pressured by higher benefit ratios and lower investment income, while group life and AD&D posted higher operating income on premium growth and improved claims experience, underscoring both the earnings sensitivity to claims trends and the resilience of the broader franchise. The company also published a 2026 outlook slide deck alongside these results and indicated that positive business trends are expected to continue, guiding to 4–7% core premium growth and higher adjusted operating earnings per share in 2026, signaling confidence in ongoing growth and value creation despite recent claims cost headwinds.

The most recent analyst rating on (UNM) stock is a Hold with a $87.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Unum Group stock, see the UNM Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Unum Group Announces New $1 Billion Buyback Program
Positive
Dec 4, 2025

On December 4, 2025, Unum Group announced that its Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program, allowing the company to buy back up to $1 billion of its common stock starting January 1, 2026. This move, which follows the termination of the current program on December 31, 2025, reflects Unum’s strategic financial management and could impact its market positioning and shareholder value.

The most recent analyst rating on (UNM) stock is a Buy with a $84.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Unum Group stock, see the UNM Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Feb 18, 2026