HMN

The multiline insurance industry is positioned for growth driven by product diversification, improved pricing, and accelerated digitalization. Five stocks are highlighted as investment opportunities: Oscar Health and Horace Mann Educators (Zacks Rank #1), and Assurant, Principal Financial Group, and Prudential Financial (Zacks Rank #2). The industry ranks in the top 44% of Zacks industries with positive earnings outlooks, though it has underperformed the broader market in the past year.

Horace Mann (HMN), an insurance provider for educators, offers a dividend yield of 3.2%, significantly higher than industry and S&P 500 averages. The company has consistently increased dividends with a 3.20% average annual growth rate over five years and maintains a conservative 29% payout ratio, suggesting room for future dividend growth. With a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) and expected earnings growth of 1.49% in 2026, HMN presents an attractive opportunity for income-focused investors.

Zacks highlights value investing as a proven strategy and identifies Horace Mann Educators (HMN) with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and Value grade A, and Scor (SCRYY) with Rank #2 (Buy) and Value grade A as undervalued stocks based on favorable P/B and P/S ratios compared to industry averages.