AFL vs UNM Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Aflac and Unum are both supplemental and workplace benefits insurers, but Aflac's business is anchored by a large, long-established Japan operation while Unum focuses primarily on U.S. employer-sponsored disability, life, and supplemental insurance.
Aflac offers a globally diversified supplemental insurance franchise with a deep Japan presence, while Unum offers a more concentrated bet on the U.S. employer-sponsored disability and benefits market. The decision comes down to whether you value Aflac's international diversification or Unum's focused domestic benefits franchise.
UNM holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. UNM leads on both 1-year return (+24.82%) and forward P/E quality (9.81x vs 15.82x for AFL), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. On fundamentals, UNM is growing revenue faster (0.30%), while AFL maintains the higher operating margin (25.72%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for UNM (+9.75%) than for AFL (-2.64%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want exposure to a globally diversified supplemental insurance franchise
- Believe the Japan operation provides a stable, high-margin earnings base
- Value a long history of consistent dividend growth
- Are comfortable with currency translation effects on reported results
- Want concentrated exposure to the U.S. employer-sponsored disability and benefits market
- Believe improved capital return activity reflects a stronger balance sheet
- Value a diversified mix across disability, life, and supplemental health products
- Are comfortable with results tied to broader U.S. employment trends
| Metric | AFL | UNM |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 49.7 | 40.1 |
| AI ranki | #550 | #1191 |
| Latest closei | $124.04 | $91.03 |
| 1M returni | +11.21% | +2.78% |
| 3M returni | -0.89% | -0.39% |
| 6M returni | +8.37% | +12.62% |
| 1Y returni | +15.96% | +24.82% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | AFL | UNM |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.4K (+14.0%) started 2025-11-04 | $11.64K (+16.4%) started 2025-11-04 |
| 5Y ago | $26.28K (+162.8%) started 2021-11-04 | $35.08K (+250.8%) started 2021-11-04 |
| 10Y ago | $55.09K (+450.9%) started 2016-11-04 | $25.43K (+154.3%) started 2016-11-04 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | AFL | UNM |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $60.42B | $14.69B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 12.96 | 21.53 |
| Forward P/Ei | 15.82 | 9.81 |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | N/A |
| EV/Revenuei | 3.74 | 1.24 |
| Analyst targeti | $117.33 | $101.85 |
| Target upsidei | -2.64% | +9.75% |
| Metric | AFL | UNM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | -1.00% | 0.30% |
| Earnings growthi | 46.80% | -16.20% |
| EPS growthi | +46.80% | -16.20% |
| FCF margini | +28.51% | -16.72% |
| Operating margini | 25.72% | 11.36% |
| Profit margini | 26.91% | 5.26% |
| ROIC proxyi | 16.91% | 6.35% |
| Return on equityi | 16.91% | 6.35% |
| Dividend yieldi | 2.02% | 2.20% |
| Payout ratioi | 25.59% | 42.99% |
| Dividend growth streaki | No increase yet | N/A |
| Betai | 0.56 | 0.26 |
| Debt/equityi | 53.37 | 36.88 |
| Current ratioi | 0.89 | 17.26 |
| Quick ratioi | 0.78 | 4.13 |
Over the past year, AFL and UNM have moved weakly in the same direction (correlation of 0.36), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | AFL | UNM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +14.00% | +16.41% |
| CAGRi | +14.03% | +16.45% | |
| Volatilityi | 17.51% | 22.69% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.59 | 0.60 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.85 | 0.86 | |
| Max drawdowni | 14.18% | 12.08% | |
| Current drawdowni | 4.25% | 5.74% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 4.74% | 3.95% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 5.93% | 5.05% | |
| Max daily dropi | 4.29% | 4.89% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 4.88% | 7.22% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +141.60% | +250.79% |
| CAGRi | +19.30% | +28.55% | |
| Volatilityi | 20.78% | 29.27% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.74 | 0.86 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.04 | 1.27 | |
| Max drawdowni | 19.86% | 20.50% | |
| Current drawdowni | 4.25% | 5.74% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 5.20% | 5.87% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 6.81% | 7.57% | |
| Max daily dropi | 9.65% | 13.17% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 11.28% | 18.72% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +341.90% | +154.34% |
| CAGRi | +16.02% | +9.79% | |
| Volatilityi | 25.84% | 37.54% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.53 | 0.32 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.76 | 0.45 | |
| Max drawdowni | 54.89% | 82.28% | |
| Current drawdowni | 4.25% | 5.74% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 6.90% | 28.42% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 11.33% | 36.25% | |
| Max daily dropi | 16.43% | 22.37% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 31.59% | 36.97% |
| Category | AFL | UNM |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Aflac Incorporated | Unum Group |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Insurance - Life | Insurance - Life |
| Core business | A supplemental health and life insurance company best known for its cancer and accident insurance products, with a substantial portion of its business coming from the Japanese insurance market alongside its U.S. operations. | A provider of employer-sponsored disability, life, and supplemental health insurance products, primarily serving the U.S. workplace benefits market alongside smaller international operations. |
| Investor focus | Japan segment premium trends and currency effects, U.S. supplemental insurance sales growth, and long-term capital return through dividends and buybacks. | Group disability and life insurance sales growth, benefit ratio trends, and capital return activity as the company builds on its improved balance sheet. |
- Large, established Japan operation provides a stable, high-margin revenue base with strong brand recognition
- Supplemental insurance products fill a niche that complements rather than competes directly with primary health coverage
- Long history of consecutive dividend increases reflects consistent earnings generation across cycles
- Leading position in employer-sponsored disability insurance provides a recurring, relationship-driven revenue base
- Diversified product mix across disability, life, and supplemental health spreads underwriting risk
- Improved capital position in recent years has supported increased share buybacks and dividend growth
- Japan segment results are exposed to yen currency fluctuations that can affect reported U.S. dollar earnings
- Aging demographics and market saturation in Japan can limit long-term premium growth in that segment
- U.S. supplemental insurance sales depend on employer relationships and workplace benefits enrollment trends
- Group disability claims experience can be affected by broader employment and workplace health trends
- Growth depends heavily on retaining and expanding relationships with corporate benefits administrators
- Faces competition from other large insurers and benefits administrators in the employer-sponsored insurance market
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