Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by StockNews.com

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

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of Kemper in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Kemper from $72.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kemper presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $79.00.

Kemper Trading Down 2.5 %

NYSE KMPR opened at $66.14 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $4.24 billion, a PE ratio of 15.75 and a beta of 0.88. Kemper has a 12 month low of $47.12 and a 12 month high of $73.01. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $66.86 and a 200-day moving average of $62.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.28. Kemper had a return on equity of 12.03% and a net margin of 5.86%. The business had revenue of $1.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.44) earnings per share. Kemper’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Kemper will post 5.36 EPS for the current fiscal 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 paid a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.87%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Kemper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.52%.

Institutional Trading of Kemper

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP grew its position in shares of Kemper by 81.1% during the 3rd quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 838,085 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $51,333,000 after acquiring an additional 375,324 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in Kemper by 1,336.4% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 340,948 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $20,228,000 after acquiring an additional 317,212 shares during the last quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in Kemper by 815.0% in the 2nd quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC now owns 301,524 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $17,889,000 after acquiring an additional 268,569 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Kemper by 254.1% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 349,822 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $20,398,000 after purchasing an additional 251,036 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in shares of Kemper by 1,070.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 140,189 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $8,526,000 after purchasing an additional 128,213 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.23% of the company’s stock.

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.