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Unum Group: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income rose year on year: Net income was $232.0 million, or $1.41 per diluted share, against $189.1 million, or $1.06, a year earlier. The prior year carried a $163.4 million after-tax investment loss; this year's was $4.0 million. Source
  • After-tax adjusted operating income grew: Adjusted operating income, now excluding Closed Block, was $352.5 million, or $2.14 per diluted share, against $348.8 million, or $1.95, in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Core sales and premium growth continued: Core operations sales rose 14.4 percent and premium rose 3.9 percent on a constant currency basis. Management described these as continued favorable top-line trends. Source
  • Closed Block loss reduced net income: The Closed Block segment's after-tax adjusted operating loss was $116.5 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, against income of $3.7 million a year earlier. It sits outside adjusted operating income. Source
  • Unum US profit rose modestly: Unum US segment adjusted operating income rose 2.7 percent to $337.9 million. Premium rose 3.3 percent to $1,840.5 million, and net investment income rose 6.3 percent to $158.3 million. Source
  • Core return on equity at 21.7 percent: Annualized adjusted operating return on equity for core operating segments was 21.7 percent. Unum US was 25.0 percent, Colonial Life 19.2 percent and Unum International 10.9 percent. Source
  • Repurchased 5.4 million shares: The company repurchased 5.4 million shares for $402.4 million in the quarter. Weighted average diluted shares were 164.4 million, against 178.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Book value per share rose: Book value per share was $67.76, up 6.2 percent from $63.78. Excluding AOCI, it was $78.93, up 3.6 percent from $76.17. Source

“with solid top and bottom line performance across our businesses”

Richard P. McKenney, president and chief executive officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
After-tax adjusted operating income per share Sourcefull year 2026$8.60 to $8.90Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The Closed Block segment is excluded from after-tax adjusted operating income, and the related reinsurance amortization adjustments are no longer applied. Prior periods were restated. Source
  • Guidance kept: The full-year 2026 after-tax adjusted operating income per share range is the same as in the fourth quarter release. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net income rose year on year: Net income was $232.0 million, or $1.41 per diluted share, against $189.1 million, or $1.06, a year earlier. The prior year carried a $163.4 million after-tax investment loss; this year's was $4.0 million. Source
  • After-tax adjusted operating income grew: Adjusted operating income, now excluding Closed Block, was $352.5 million, or $2.14 per diluted share, against $348.8 million, or $1.95, in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Core sales and premium growth continued: Core operations sales rose 14.4 percent and premium rose 3.9 percent on a constant currency basis. Management described these as continued favorable top-line trends. Source
  • Closed Block loss reduced net income: The Closed Block segment's after-tax adjusted operating loss was $116.5 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, against income of $3.7 million a year earlier. It sits outside adjusted operating income. Source

Segments and regions

  • Unum US profit rose modestly: Unum US segment adjusted operating income rose 2.7 percent to $337.9 million. Premium rose 3.3 percent to $1,840.5 million, and net investment income rose 6.3 percent to $158.3 million. Source
  • International profit fell on higher premium: International segment adjusted operating income fell 20.2 percent to $30.9 million, although premium rose 16.2 percent to $286.7 million. Source
  • UK claims pressure on income: Unum UK segment income in local currency fell 30.8 percent to £20.4 million, while premium rose 6.6 percent to £172.1 million on sales across all product lines. Source
  • Colonial Life income rose 10.5 percent: Colonial Life segment adjusted operating income rose 10.5 percent to $127.8 million. Premium rose 3.4 percent to $472.7 million on prior period sales and stable overall persistency. Source
  • Corporate segment loss widened: The Corporate segment adjusted operating loss was $43.6 million in the first quarter of 2026, compared with $41.1 million in the first quarter of 2025. Source

“As we look ahead, we remain confident in our resilient business model”

Richard P. McKenney, president and chief executive officer

Products and customers

  • Group disability premium grew: Group disability segment income fell 10.6 percent to $106.6 million. Premium rose on favorable persistency and prior period sales, partly offset by the expected run-off of medical stop-loss premium. Source
  • Group life income rose sharply: Group life and accidental death and dismemberment segment income rose 66.3 percent to $115.1 million, with premium up 6.6 percent to $548.4 million on persistency and prior period sales. Source
  • Supplemental and voluntary income fell: Supplemental and voluntary segment income fell 17.4 percent to $116.2 million. Premium was down 0.2 percent to $482.6 million, as higher sales in voluntary and individual disability offset ceded premium and lower persistency. Source
  • Fortitude Re cession reduced premium: Management cited the ceding of part of the individual disability line under the Fortitude Re transaction as reducing supplemental and voluntary premium. Source

Costs, benefit ratios and margins

  • Group disability benefit ratio rose: The group disability benefit ratio was 63.7 percent, up from 61.8 percent. Management attributed the increase to pricing actions and higher short-term disability incidence. Source
  • Group life benefit ratio improved: The group life and accidental death and dismemberment benefit ratio was 61.8 percent, down from 69.3 percent, on lower claim incidence in those product lines. Source
  • Supplemental benefit ratio increased: The supplemental and voluntary benefit ratio rose to 49.9 percent from 46.1 percent, primarily on higher average claim size in the individual disability product line. Source
  • Core return on equity at 21.7 percent: Annualized adjusted operating return on equity for core operating segments was 21.7 percent. Unum US was 25.0 percent, Colonial Life 19.2 percent and Unum International 10.9 percent. Source
  • Effective tax rate rose: The effective income tax rate used for adjusted operating income was 22.2 percent, against 21.2 percent a year earlier. Source

Demand, sales and persistency

  • Unum US sales rose 20.8 percent: Unum US sales were $335.1 million, against $277.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • International and Colonial sales grew: International sales rose 14.1 percent to $42.1 million. Colonial Life sales rose 0.9 percent to $106.3 million. Source
  • Approach resonates with employers: Management said its approach to the market continues to resonate with employers and distribution partners. Source
  • Short-term disability persistency improved: Group short-term disability persistency was 90.7 percent, up from 87.5 percent. Group long-term disability persistency was 92.2 percent, up from 90.7 percent. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Repurchased 5.4 million shares: The company repurchased 5.4 million shares for $402.4 million in the quarter. Weighted average diluted shares were 164.4 million, against 178.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Dividends and holding company liquidity: Common stock dividends totaled $78.4 million in the quarter. Holding company liquidity was $1,726.1 million, and the weighted average risk-based capital ratio was approximately 460 percent. Source
  • Book value per share rose: Book value per share was $67.76, up 6.2 percent from $63.78. Excluding AOCI, it was $78.93, up 3.6 percent from $76.17. Source
  • Share count declined with buybacks: Shares outstanding were 160.7 million at March 31, 2026, down from 165.7 million at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Capital return framed as strategy: Management described the capital returned to shareholders as part of its disciplined capital deployment strategy. Source

Closed Block and reinsurance

  • Closed Block pre-tax segment loss: The Closed Block segment reported a segment adjusted operating loss of $145.3 million, against segment adjusted operating income of $8.0 million a year earlier. Source
  • Net premium ratio edged up: The net premium ratio rose to 97.6 percent from 97.5 percent at December 31, 2025, as a result of benefits experience in the quarter. Source
  • Fairwind protections reported at $2.2 billion: Fairwind statutory reserves and excess capital above best estimate reserves totaled $2.2 billion. Source
  • Reinsurance exits and enrollment closure: Management said it has completed reinsurance transactions to exit significant portions of the Closed Block and no longer accepts new enrollments in existing group long-term care policies. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Book value per share Source$67.76 ($78.93 excluding AOCI)
Investment income Source$483.4 million net investment income

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Closed Block segment results were driven by group policy terminations and claim incidence in the long-term care line. Source
  • Financial: Lower yield on invested assets reduced net investment income in the Corporate segment. Source
  • Demand: Dental and vision persistency fell to 79.9 percent from 82.2 percent. Voluntary benefits persistency was 75.8 percent, against 76.8 percent a year earlier. Source
  • Regulatory: Achievement under the Closed Block premium rate approval program was 15 percent as of the quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said the 2025 Closed Block actions continue to result in an improving risk profile. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.