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

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Thursday.

Several other brokerages have also commented on KMPR. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Kemper in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Kemper from $72.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $80.40.

Kemper Price Performance

Kemper stock opened at $65.18 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $67.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $63.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.52 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. Kemper has a 52-week low of $48.15 and a 52-week high of $73.01.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $1.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.44) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Kemper will post 5.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kemper Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.90%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Kemper’s payout ratio is currently 29.52%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

About Kemper

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.