Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) EVP Carl Thomas Jr. Evans Purchases 1,000 Shares of Stock

Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR) EVP Carl Thomas Jr. Evans bought 1,000 shares of Kemper stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $26.53 per share, with a total value of $26,530.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 91,629 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,430,917.37. This trade represents a 1.10% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Kemper Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of KMPR opened at $26.21 on Wednesday. Kemper Corporation has a 12-month low of $22.69 and a 12-month high of $54.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.12 and a beta of 1.04. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $27.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $30.24.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The insurance provider reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.11. Kemper had a positive return on equity of 2.89% and a negative net margin of 10.84%.The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.30 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Kemper Corporation will post 1.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Kemper Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st will be given a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 21st. Kemper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -15.24%.

Key Stories Impacting Kemper

Here are the key news stories impacting Kemper this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several insiders bought shares, including Director Jason Gorevic’s 5,000-share purchase for approximately $129,550. Director Gerald Laderman, CFO Bradley Camden and EVP Carl Evans also purchased shares, suggesting management views the current valuation as attractive. Kemper Director Acquires 5,000 Shares of Stock
• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated a “Buy” view on Kemper, although it reduced its price target modestly to $43 from $44. The rating indicates meaningful potential upside from recent trading levels. Kemper Receives a Buy from UBS
• Positive Sentiment: Kemper declared a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, equivalent to $1.28 annually and a yield of roughly 4.9%, which may appeal to income-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: The latest quarterly earnings exceeded expectations, with EPS of $0.45 versus the $0.34 consensus. However, the earnings beat was accompanied by revenue of $1.09 billion, below the $1.16 billion estimate.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains high at approximately 86.2%, and several investment firms increased their positions. This may provide some shareholder support but reflects holdings from the prior quarter rather than a new catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined 10.8% year over year, EPS fell from $1.30 in the comparable quarter, and Kemper reported a negative net margin. These results reinforce concerns about operating performance in its insurance businesses.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains cautious: the consensus rating is “Reduce,” with three Hold and four Sell ratings. Piper Sandler lowered its target to $28 and UBS also trimmed its target, while Zacks previously moved to “Strong Sell.”

Institutional Trading of Kemper

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Kemper during the second quarter worth $227,331,000. Walleye Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Kemper during the second quarter valued at $21,709,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kemper by 40.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,780,270 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $143,323,000 after purchasing an additional 795,131 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kemper by 129.8% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,115,660 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $57,512,000 after purchasing an additional 630,241 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. bought a new stake in shares of Kemper in the 4th quarter worth about $24,324,000. 86.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KMPR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered shares of Kemper from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Kemper from $44.00 to $43.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kemper from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Kemper from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price target on shares of Kemper from $35.00 to $28.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Kemper has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $43.67.

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.