Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Hits New 12-Month High Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Kemper Co. (NYSE:KMPR) shares hit a new 52-week high on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $67.22 and last traded at $65.46, with a volume of 24615 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $64.16.

The insurance provider reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.32. The company had revenue of $1.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. Kemper had a return on equity of 7.27% and a net margin of 1.11%. Kemper’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($0.44) earnings per share.

Kemper Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.99%. Kemper’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Kemper from $67.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. StockNews.com downgraded Kemper from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 8th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Kemper from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Raymond James raised their target price on shares of Kemper from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Kemper in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $76.20.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kemper

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in Kemper by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 5,943 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $353,000 after acquiring an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Kemper by 114.7% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 541 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Kemper by 3.2% during the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,076 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $598,000 after purchasing an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP lifted its position in Kemper by 105.1% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 642 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System grew its stake in shares of Kemper by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 18,010 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,069,000 after buying an additional 397 shares in the last quarter. 86.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kemper Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.22. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $61.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $60.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.83 and a beta of 0.85.

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.