Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR) Short Interest Update

Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 2,907,812 shares, a growth of 17.7% from the February 12th total of 2,470,122 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 968,953 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.0 days. Approximately 5.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 5.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 968,953 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.0 days.

Kemper Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE KMPR traded up $0.44 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $30.19. The stock had a trading volume of 602,481 shares, compared to its average volume of 855,183. Kemper has a 52-week low of $28.41 and a 52-week high of $69.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $34.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $41.40. The firm has a market cap of $1.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.78 and a beta of 1.16.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.85 by ($0.60). The firm had revenue of $1.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.22 billion. Kemper had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 8.02%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.78 EPS. Analysts expect that Kemper will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kemper Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. Kemper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 58.45%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on KMPR. Zacks Research downgraded Kemper from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. UBS Group set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Kemper in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered Kemper from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Citizens Jmp lowered shares of Kemper from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, William Blair lowered Kemper from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kemper currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $56.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kemper

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Huntington National Bank raised its stake in Kemper by 187.1% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 646 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 421 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Kemper by 1,098.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 587 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 538 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC acquired a new position in Kemper in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in Kemper by 73.5% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 656 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kemper during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. 86.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Kemper

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.