Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to Sell

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Kemper to “sell” from “hold,” while other analysts have issued mixed views; MarketBeat reports a consensus “reduce” rating and an average price target of $43.25.
• Kemper shares opened at $28.03, near their 52-week low, after the insurer reported quarterly EPS of $0.45 that beat estimates but revenue of $1.09 billion that fell short and declined 10.8% year over year.
• Insiders purchased 14,000 shares worth approximately $367,880 over the past 90 days, while institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.23% of the company.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Kemper from $35.00 to $28.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Kemper from $44.00 to $43.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings cut Kemper from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Kemper from $81.00 to $42.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research raised Kemper from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $43.25.

Kemper Trading Up 1.4%

NYSE:KMPR opened at $28.03 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.34 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 quick ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $27.98 and a 200 day moving average of $29.33.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The insurance provider reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.16 billion. Kemper had a negative net margin of 10.84% and a positive return on equity of 2.89%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kemper will post 2.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Kemper

In other news, Director Gerald Laderman bought 4,000 shares of Kemper stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $26.49 per share, for a total transaction of $105,960.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 33,365 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $883,838.85. The trade was a 13.62% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Bradley T. Camden purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $26.34 per share, with a total value of $26,340.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 51,259 shares in the company, valued at $1,350,162.06. This trade represents a 1.99% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders acquired 14,000 shares of company stock worth $367,880 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.61% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kemper

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Kemper during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $227,331,000. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in shares of Kemper by 2,186.4% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 1,797,989 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $48,474,000 after acquiring an additional 1,719,351 shares during the period. Walleye Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kemper in the second quarter worth $21,709,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kemper by 40.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,780,270 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $143,323,000 after purchasing an additional 795,131 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Kemper during the second quarter worth $20,800,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

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