UPDATE 1-Disability insurers Aflac, Unum post strong Q4 profit

* Aflac Q4 oper EPS $1.18 vs est $1.15

* Unum Q4 adj EPS $0.66 vs est $0.64

* U.S., International segments show growth

* Aflac stock edges higher, Unum flat after the bell

Feb 2 (Reuters) - Aflac Inc (AFL.N), the world's largest seller of supplemental disability insurance, and rival Unum Group (UNM.N) posted strong quarterly profits, exceeding analysts' estimates, and both companies showed growth at their U.S. segments.

The companies also maintained their outlook for 2010.

Aflac, which counts on the U.S. and Japanese markets for the bulk of its business, earned $251 million, or 53 cents a share for the fourth quarter, compared with $197 million, or 42 cents a share, a year back.

Operating profit -- the favourite measure of profitability for insurance analysts as it excludes investment losses and gains -- was $1.18 a share.

Analysts on average were looking for a profit of $1.15 a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Disability insurers pay benefits in the event of policyholder becoming incapable of working.

Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Unum earned $199.4 million, or 60 cents a share, compared with $41.8 million, or 13 cents a share, a year ago.

Excluding investment gains and loss and special items, the company earned 66 cents a share, the largest disability insurer in the United States and Britain said.

Analysts were looking for earnings of 64 cents a share.

Shares of the Columbus, Georgia-based Aflac rose slightly to $50.30 after the bell, while those of Unum were flat at $20.67. Aflac shares closed at $49.70 Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Anurag Kotoky in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)