Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Cut to “Hold” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on KMPR. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Kemper from $72.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of Kemper in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $80.40.

Kemper Trading Down 1.3 %

NYSE KMPR opened at $65.18 on Thursday. Kemper has a 1-year low of $48.15 and a 1-year high of $73.01. The firm has a market cap of $4.17 billion, a PE ratio of 15.52 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $67.36 and a 200-day moving average of $63.24.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $1.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. Kemper had a return on equity of 12.03% and a net margin of 5.86%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.44) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Kemper will post 5.36 EPS for the current year.

Kemper Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.90%. Kemper’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.52%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kemper

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kemper by 114.7% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 541 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in Kemper by 5,590.0% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 569 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 559 shares during the period. Quarry LP boosted its position in Kemper by 105.1% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 642 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in Kemper in the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Kemper in the third quarter valued at approximately $82,000. 86.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kemper Company Profile

Kemper Corporation, a diversified insurance holding company, engages in the provision of insurance products to individuals and businesses in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Specialty Property & Casualty Insurance, Preferred Property & Casualty Insurance, and Life & Health Insurance.