Zacks Research Upgrades Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) to Hold

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Kemper from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Kemper from $44.00 to $43.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on Kemper from $35.00 to $28.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Kemper from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $43.67.

Kemper Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE KMPR opened at $26.77 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $27.63 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.74. The stock has a market cap of $1.58 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.19 and a beta of 1.04. Kemper has a 52-week low of $22.69 and a 52-week high of $54.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.17.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The insurance provider reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.11. Kemper had a negative net margin of 10.84% and a positive return on equity of 2.89%. The company had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. Kemper’s revenue was down 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Kemper will post 1.97 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kemper news, CFO Bradley T. Camden purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $26.34 per share, for a total transaction of $26,340.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 51,259 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,350,162.06. This represents a 1.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Carl Thomas Jr. Evans acquired 1,000 shares of Kemper stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $26.53 per share, with a total value of $26,530.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 91,629 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,430,917.37. This trade represents a 1.10% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders purchased a total of 14,000 shares of company stock valued at $367,880 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kemper

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Huntington National Bank increased its holdings in shares of Kemper by 187.1% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 646 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 421 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in shares of Kemper in the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Kemper by 616.7% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 946 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Kemper by 11,455.6% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,040 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 1,031 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Kemper by 57.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,388 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 507 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.23% of the company’s stock.

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.