Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Lowered to Strong Sell Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

KMPR has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kemper from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Citizens Jmp cut Kemper from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Kemper from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. William Blair lowered shares of Kemper from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Kemper from $50.00 to $35.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kemper currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $56.50.

Kemper Trading Up 1.4%

NYSE KMPR opened at $31.21 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $37.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.74. Kemper has a 12 month low of $30.05 and a 12 month high of $69.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.18 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The company has a market capitalization of $1.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.25 and a beta of 1.14.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.85 by ($0.60). Kemper had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 8.02%. The company had revenue of $1.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Kemper will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kemper Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. Kemper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.45%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kemper

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of KMPR. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kemper by 39.9% in the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 4,933 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $330,000 after acquiring an additional 1,406 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Kemper by 16.2% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 557,786 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $37,288,000 after purchasing an additional 77,764 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new stake in Kemper during the 1st quarter worth about $260,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in Kemper by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 198,248 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $13,253,000 after purchasing an additional 9,008 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in Kemper by 112.7% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 10,516 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $703,000 after purchasing an additional 5,573 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.23% of the company’s stock.

Kemper Company Profile

Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR) is a diversified insurance holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Formed through the rebranding of Unitrin in 2010, Kemper has established a nationwide presence by offering a broad array of property and casualty insurance products. The company distributes its products through independent agents, brokers and direct-to-consumer channels, serving both individual policyholders and commercial clients.

The personal insurance segment provides coverage for automobiles, homeowners, renters and umbrella lines, while the commercial business focuses on liability, workers’ compensation and specialty property solutions tailored to small and mid-sized enterprises.