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Unum Group: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Adjusted earnings per share rose: After-tax adjusted operating income was $346.0 million, or $2.16 per diluted share, against $360.2 million or $2.06 a year earlier. Weighted diluted shares fell to 160.0 million from 174.4 million. Source
  • Net income fell from last year: Net income was $256.9 million, or $1.61 per diluted share, against $335.6 million or $1.92. Items excluded from adjusted earnings included a net investment loss, the Closed Block loss and a strategic actions item. Source
  • Unum US segment earnings rose 3.6%: Segment adjusted operating income rose to $329.6 million from $318.2 million. Premium income grew 3.3 percent to $1,858.2 million, which the release attributes to sales and higher persistency in group disability and group life. Source
  • Group disability earnings fell 17.4%: Group disability segment adjusted operating income fell to $103.1 million. The benefit ratio rose to 65.8 percent from 62.2 percent on higher short-term disability incidence, mainly paid family and medical leave, and on prior period pricing actions. Source
  • International earnings fell 41.6%: Segment adjusted operating income fell to $24.3 million from $41.6 million. Premium income rose 6.7 percent to $289.3 million, while UK segment adjusted operating income in local currency fell 48.0 percent to £15.3 million. Source
  • Closed Block loss widened from last year: Closed Block segment adjusted operating loss was $75.4 million, against a $10.8 million loss a year earlier. The release attributes it mainly to lower net investment income and amortization of the cost of reinsurance from the 2025 Fortitude Re transaction. Source
  • Repurchases of $202.1 million in quarter: The company repurchased 2.5 million shares for $202.1 million in the quarter and paid $73.5 million in common dividends. Year-to-date repurchases were $600 million and dividends $150 million, about $750 million in total. Source
  • Holding company liquidity of $1.5 billion: Available holding company liquidity was $1,536.5 million at June 30, 2026. The weighted average risk-based capital ratio for traditional U.S. insurers was about 480 percent, against 460 percent at March 31. Source

“We delivered another solid performance in the second quarter across multiple dimensions”

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 Corporate segment excludes a strategic actions item of $30.7 million before tax. The first quarter release reported no such item. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Adjusted earnings per share rose: After-tax adjusted operating income was $346.0 million, or $2.16 per diluted share, against $360.2 million or $2.06 a year earlier. Weighted diluted shares fell to 160.0 million from 174.4 million. Source
  • Net income fell from last year: Net income was $256.9 million, or $1.61 per diluted share, against $335.6 million or $1.92. Items excluded from adjusted earnings included a net investment loss, the Closed Block loss and a strategic actions item. Source
  • Core operations premiums grew 3.6%: Premium income was $2,817.8 million against $2,748.0 million. On a constant currency basis, core operations premium growth was 3.6 percent, which the release describes as sustained top-line trends. Source

Unum US and Colonial Life

  • Unum US segment earnings rose 3.6%: Segment adjusted operating income rose to $329.6 million from $318.2 million. Premium income grew 3.3 percent to $1,858.2 million, which the release attributes to sales and higher persistency in group disability and group life. Source
  • Group disability earnings fell 17.4%: Group disability segment adjusted operating income fell to $103.1 million. The benefit ratio rose to 65.8 percent from 62.2 percent on higher short-term disability incidence, mainly paid family and medical leave, and on prior period pricing actions. Source
  • Group life earnings rose 32.8%: Group life and AD&D segment adjusted operating income rose to $93.2 million. The benefit ratio fell to 66.0 percent from 69.7 percent on lower claim incidence, partly offset by higher average claim size in AD&D. Source
  • Supplemental and voluntary earnings rose 8.2%: Segment adjusted operating income rose to $133.3 million. Premium income fell 1.1 percent to $477.2 million, mainly from ceding part of individual disability in the 2025 Fortitude Re reinsurance transaction. Source
  • Colonial Life earnings rose 11.9%: Segment adjusted operating income rose to $131.4 million. Premium income increased 3.3 percent to $477.4 million on prior period sales, and the benefit ratio was 46.7 percent against 48.3 percent. Source

“Our top-line saw steady growth in premiums with increasing sales and good retention, while operating margins remain healthy in our core operations.”

Richard P. McKenney, president and chief executive officer

Unum International segment

  • International earnings fell 41.6%: Segment adjusted operating income fell to $24.3 million from $41.6 million. Premium income rose 6.7 percent to $289.3 million, while UK segment adjusted operating income in local currency fell 48.0 percent to £15.3 million. Source
  • UK benefit ratio rose on claims: The UK benefit ratio rose to 82.2 percent from 75.0 percent, due mainly to higher average claim size in group long-term disability. UK net investment income fell 10.3 percent on lower inflation index-linked bond income. Source
  • UK premium rose in local currency: UK premium income rose 5.2 percent to £175.5 million, mainly from in-force block growth in group life and supplemental products. Unum Poland premium income was $53.8 million, against $49.4 million a year earlier at constant currency. Source

Closed Block and Corporate

  • Closed Block loss widened from last year: Closed Block segment adjusted operating loss was $75.4 million, against a $10.8 million loss a year earlier. The release attributes it mainly to lower net investment income and amortization of the cost of reinsurance from the 2025 Fortitude Re transaction. Source
  • Closed Block net premium ratio rose: The net premium ratio rose to 97.8 percent from 97.6 percent at March 31, 2026, as a result of benefits experience during the quarter. The release also cites about 15 percent achievement of the current premium rate approval program. Source
  • Fairwind protections at $2.2 billion: Protections at the Fairwind entity, measured by statutory reserves and excess capital above best estimate reserves, were approximately $2.2 billion at the quarter end. Source
  • Corporate segment loss increased: Corporate segment adjusted operating loss was $44.5 million, excluding the strategic actions item, against a $31.7 million loss a year earlier. The release attributes this mainly to lower net investment income from a decrease in miscellaneous investment income. Source
  • Closed Block exits through reinsurance: Management said it has completed reinsurance transactions to exit significant portions of the Closed Block, and it no longer accepts new enrollments on existing group long-term care policies. Source

“The strong cashflow profile of our businesses have allowed us to return substantial capital to shareholders with year-to-date share repurchases of $600 million and dividends of $150 million.”

Richard P. McKenney, president and chief executive officer

Sales and persistency

  • Unum US sales rose 7.4%: Sales were $281.8 million against $262.4 million in the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • Colonial Life sales rose 6.0%: Colonial Life sales were $134.1 million against $126.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • International sales fell 19.4%: Unum International sales fell to $52.4 million from $65.0 million. UK sales fell 14.9 percent to £32.6 million from £38.3 million. Source
  • Persistency mixed across product lines: First-half group short-term disability persistency rose to 91.1 percent from 88.2 percent, and group life rose to 92.2 percent from 89.7 percent. Dental and vision fell to 78.9 percent from 82.4 percent. Source

Costs, margins and returns

  • Other expenses rose year on year: Other expenses were $673.7 million against $615.5 million. Commissions were $364.3 million against $343.5 million, and policy benefits including remeasurement were $2,001.2 million against $1,976.1 million. Source
  • Core operations return on equity 21.4%: Adjusted operating return on equity was 24.3 percent for Unum US, 19.4 percent for Colonial Life and 10.7 percent for Unum International. Core operating segments were 21.4 percent, annualized. Source
  • Effective tax rate rose to 21.5%: The effective income tax rate used for after-tax adjusted operating income was 21.5 percent, against 19.1 percent a year earlier. The release says the 2025 rate differed from the 21 percent U.S. statutory rate mainly because of tax credits. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Repurchases of $202.1 million in quarter: The company repurchased 2.5 million shares for $202.1 million in the quarter and paid $73.5 million in common dividends. Year-to-date repurchases were $600 million and dividends $150 million, about $750 million in total. Source
  • Holding company liquidity of $1.5 billion: Available holding company liquidity was $1,536.5 million at June 30, 2026. The weighted average risk-based capital ratio for traditional U.S. insurers was about 480 percent, against 460 percent at March 31. Source
  • Shares outstanding fell to 158.3 million: Shares outstanding were 158.3 million at June 30, 2026, against 172.1 million a year earlier. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Net investment income Source$478.4 million in Q2 2026 vs $560.7 million in Q2 2025
Book value per share Source$68.28 at June 30, 2026 vs $65.76 a year earlier; $80.10 excluding AOCI

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said it remains on track to close the recently announced long-term care reinsurance transaction in the second half of the year. 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.