Seek Returns

MKL vs. UNM: Markel vs. Unum Stock Comparison

How do Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM) both belong to the Insurance industry, though MKL is classified under Property & Casualty Insurance while UNM falls under Life & Health Insurance.

Company profile comparison for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM)
Profile ItemMKLUNM
NameMarkel Group Inc.Unum Group
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorFinancialsFinancials
GICS Industry GroupInsuranceInsurance
GICS IndustryInsuranceInsurance
GICS Sub-IndustryProperty & Casualty InsuranceLife & Health Insurance
Market Capitalization23.71 billion USD11.89 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateDecember 12, 1986November 6, 1986
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

MKL
UNM
GSPC
Loading price history…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…
Trailing total returns for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…
Calendar-year total returns for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM)
MetricMKLUNM
Total Return (1Y)-4.35%4.52%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)13.21%25.65%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)8.36%29.12%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

MKL
UNM
GSPC
Loading price history…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…
Distribution of monthly total returns for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Unum (UNM) trades around 1.86M shares per day on average, while Markel (MKL) sees only 66.79K — a volume gap that can matter for position sizing, exit liquidity, and order execution.

Risk profile metrics for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM)
MetricMKLUNM
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)18.61%29.31%
Beta (5Y)0.570.28
Max Drawdown (5Y)-28.87%-23.00%
Avg. Volume (3M)66.79K1.86M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Loading chart…
MKL and UNM are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM)
MetricMKLUNM
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.460.01
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.600.01

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Markel (MKL) at 9.75% is around its peer norm for ROE, while Unum (UNM) at 2.25% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker returns on shareholders’ equity.

MKL

Insurance industry group

9.75%

Max
41.68%
Q3
22.04%
Median
14.81%
MKL
9.75%
Q1
8.79%
Min
-10.66%

UNM

Insurance industry group

2.25%

Max
41.68%
Q3
22.04%
Median
14.81%
Q1
8.79%
UNM
2.25%
Min
-10.66%
Loading chart…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM): A comparison of their ROE against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Markel (MKL) at 11.13% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while Unum (UNM) at 1.94% retains only a bottom-quartile share.

MKL

Insurance industry group

11.13%

Max
29.92%
Q3
17.03%
MKL
11.13%
Median
10.97%
Q1
6.21%
Min
-4.68%

UNM

Insurance industry group

1.94%

Max
29.92%
Q3
17.03%
Median
10.97%
Q1
6.21%
UNM
1.94%
Min
-4.68%
Loading chart…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM): A comparison of their net margin against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Markel (MKL) in Insurance and Unum (UNM) in Insurance, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM)
MetricMKLUNM
ROE (TTM)9.75%2.25%
ROA (TTM)2.21%0.51%
Net Margin (TTM)11.13%1.94%
Operating Margin (TTM)----
Gross Margin (TTM)----

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Markel (MKL) at -2.49% and Unum (UNM) at 1.52% post bottom-quartile revenue growth versus peers, pointing to weaker demand or pricing momentum than typical rivals.

Loading chart…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Markel (MKL) at -15.10% and Unum (UNM) at -54.86% post bottom-quartile EPS growth versus peers, pointing to weaker earnings momentum than typical rivals.

Loading chart…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM)
MetricMKLUNM
Revenue Growth (YoY)-2.49%1.52%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)11.40%3.02%
EPS Growth (YoY)-15.10%-54.86%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)---13.07%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Markel (MKL) in Insurance and Unum (UNM) in Insurance both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Markel (MKL) in Insurance and Unum (UNM) in Insurance run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM)
MetricMKLUNM
Current Ratio (MRQ)----
Debt / Equity (MRQ)----
Net Debt / EBITDA----

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Markel (MKL) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Unum (UNM) reports a yield of 2.61%, ranking against industry peers normally.

MKL

Insurance industry group

0.00%

Max
5.12%
Q3
2.15%
Median
0.98%
MKL
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

UNM

Insurance industry group

2.61%

Max
5.12%
UNM
2.61%
Q3
2.15%
Median
0.98%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Unum (UNM) reports payout ratio above 100% at 128.23%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings; Markel (MKL) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%).

MKL

Insurance industry group

0.00%

Max
76.67%
Q3
35.18%
Median
14.74%
MKL
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

UNM

Insurance industry group

128.23%

UNM
128.23%
Max
76.67%
Q3
35.18%
Median
14.74%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM)
MetricMKLUNM
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%2.61%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%128.23%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Markel (MKL) at 13.80 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Unum (UNM) at 52.21 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for UNM’s trailing earnings.

MKL

Insurance industry group

13.80

Max
28.37
Q3
18.75
MKL
13.80
Median
12.23
Q1
9.08
Min
2.32

UNM

Insurance industry group

52.21

UNM
52.21
Max
28.37
Q3
18.75
Median
12.23
Q1
9.08
Min
2.32
Loading chart…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Markel (MKL) at 1.47 and Unum (UNM) at 0.95 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

MKL

Insurance industry group

1.47

Max
4.03
Q3
2.25
MKL
1.47
Median
1.23
Q1
0.85
Min
0.07

UNM

Insurance industry group

0.95

Max
4.03
Q3
2.25
Median
1.23
UNM
0.95
Q1
0.85
Min
0.07
Loading chart…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Unum (UNM) at 1.11 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Markel (MKL) at 1.28 is valued near its industry’s middle — UNM is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.

MKL

Insurance industry group

1.28

Max
5.07
Q3
2.79
Median
1.76
MKL
1.28
Q1
1.23
Min
0.30

UNM

Insurance industry group

1.11

Max
5.07
Q3
2.79
Median
1.76
Q1
1.23
UNM
1.11
Min
0.30
Loading chart…
Markel (MKL) vs. Unum (UNM): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Markel (MKL) and Unum (UNM)
MetricMKLUNM
P/E Ratio (TTM)13.8052.21
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.470.95
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.281.11
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)----