UNM vs. AFL

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

UNM (Unum Group) and AFL (Aflac Incorporated) are both stocks. Both operate in the Insurance - Life industry within the Financial Services sector. Over the past 10 years, UNM returned 12.49%/yr vs 15.37%/yr for AFL. At a 0.47 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

UNM vs. AFL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Unum Group (UNM) and Aflac Incorporated (AFL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, UNM achieves a 9.05% return, which is significantly higher than AFL's 4.93% return. Over the past 10 years, UNM has underperformed AFL with an annualized return of 12.49%, while AFL has yielded a comparatively higher 15.37% annualized return.

UNM

• 1D: -0.78%
• 1M: 4.08%
• YTD: 9.05%
• 6M: 14.91%
• 1Y: 4.12%
• 3Y*: 26.28%
• 5Y*: 25.44%
• 10Y*: 12.49%

AFL

• 1D: 0.77%
• 1M: 1.56%
• YTD: 4.93%
• 6M: 6.11%
• 1Y: 12.37%
• 3Y*: 22.39%
• 5Y*: 17.42%
• 10Y*: 15.37%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

UNM vs. AFL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
UNM Unum Group	9.05%	8.56%	66.31%	13.72%	73.56%	11.87%	-16.22%	2.63%	-45.22%	27.19%
AFL Aflac Incorporated	4.93%	8.94%	28.08%	17.36%	26.41%	34.55%	-13.60%	18.55%	6.20%	29.02%

Correlation

The correlation between UNM and AFL is 0.52, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.52
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.57
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.63
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.66
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 7, 1986	0.47

The correlation between UNM and AFL shifts across timeframes, from 0.47 (all time) to 0.66 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap UNM : $13.73B AFL : $58.94B
EPS UNM : $4.61 AFL : $8.76
PE Ratio UNM : 18.10 AFL : 13.07
PEG Ratio UNM : 1.27 AFL : 3.39
PS Ratio UNM : 1.06 AFL : 3.33
PB Ratio UNM : 1.26 AFL : 2.63
Total Revenue (TTM) UNM : $13.30B AFL : $18.22B
Gross Profit (TTM) UNM : $4.51B AFL : $8.70B
EBITDA (TTM) UNM : $1.24B AFL : $6.67B

Return for Risk

UNM vs. AFL — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

UNM

UNM Risk / Return Rank: 44
UNM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
UNM Sortino Ratio Rank: 39
UNM Omega Ratio Rank: 39
UNM Calmar Ratio Rank: 46
UNM Martin Ratio Rank: 47

AFL

AFL Risk / Return Rank: 62
AFL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
AFL Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
AFL Omega Ratio Rank: 54
AFL Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
AFL Martin Ratio Rank: 68

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

UNM vs. AFL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Unum Group (UNM) and Aflac Incorporated (AFL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	UNM	AFL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.17	0.74	-0.57
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.38	1.16	-0.77
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.06	1.13	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.26	1.36	-1.11
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.56	3.39	-2.83
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

UNM vs. AFL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UNM Sharpe Ratio is 0.17, which is lower than the AFL Sharpe Ratio of 0.74. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UNM and AFL, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	UNM	AFL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.17	0.74	-0.57
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.85	0.84	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.33	0.60	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.23	0.48	-0.25

Drawdowns

UNM vs. AFL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UNM drawdown since its inception was -89.38%, which is greater than AFL's maximum drawdown of -82.71%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UNM and AFL.

Drawdown Indicators

	UNM	AFL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-89.38%	-82.71%	-6.67%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.04%	-9.11%	-6.93%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-17.94%	-13.56%	-4.38%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-28.28%	-19.86%	-8.42%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-81.06%	-54.89%	-26.17%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.19%	-3.01%	+1.82%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-32.69%	-11.66%	-21.03%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.39%	3.67%	+3.72%

Volatility

UNM vs. AFL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Unum Group (UNM) is 4.01%, while Aflac Incorporated (AFL) has a volatility of 4.67%. This indicates that UNM experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AFL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	UNM	AFL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.01%	4.67%	-0.66%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.76%	11.69%	+3.07%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.67%	16.77%	+7.90%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	30.21%	20.88%	+9.33%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	37.62%	25.74%	+11.88%

Dividends

UNM vs. AFL - Dividend Comparison

UNM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.20%, more than AFL's 2.08% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AFL Aflac Incorporated	2.08%	2.10%	1.93%	2.04%	2.22%	2.26%	2.52%	2.04%	2.28%	1.98%	2.39%	2.64%
UNM Unum Group	2.20%	2.27%	2.15%	3.07%	3.07%	4.76%	4.97%	3.74%	3.34%	1.57%	1.75%	2.10%

Financials

UNM vs. AFL - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Unum Group and Aflac Incorporated over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

UNM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Unum Group reported a gross profit of 1.35B and revenue of 3.36B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 40.3%.

AFL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aflac Incorporated reported a gross profit of 2.48B and revenue of 4.32B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 57.5%.

UNM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Unum Group reported an operating income of 302.70M and revenue of 3.36B, resulting in an operating margin of 9.0%.

AFL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aflac Incorporated reported an operating income of 1.23B and revenue of 4.32B, resulting in an operating margin of 28.4%.

UNM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Unum Group reported a net income of 232.00M and revenue of 3.36B, resulting in a net margin of 6.9%.

AFL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aflac Incorporated reported a net income of 1.02B and revenue of 4.32B, resulting in a net margin of 23.6%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both UNM and AFL in my portfolio?

UNM and AFL have a correlation of 0.52, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, UNM or AFL?

AFL has higher volatility (4.67%) compared to UNM (4.01%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UNM dropped -89.38% vs AFL's -82.71%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

AFL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.74 vs 0.17), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.