Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Kemper from “sell” to “hold.” Across analysts, the stock has a consensus “Reduce” rating and an average price target of $43.25.
• Kemper shares opened at $25.32, near the lower end of their 52-week range of $22.69 to $52.25. The insurer’s latest quarterly EPS of $0.45 exceeded estimates, although revenue fell 10.8% year over year and the company reported a negative net margin.
• Company insiders bought 14,000 shares worth $367,880 over the past three months, while institutional investors own 86.23% of the stock.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Sunday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Zacks Research raised Kemper from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kemper from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. 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 research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Kemper from $81.00 to $42.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $43.25.

Kemper Stock Performance

Kemper stock opened at $25.32 on Friday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.01 and a beta of 1.04. The stock's 50 day moving average is $27.68 and its 200 day moving average is $28.61. Kemper has a twelve month low of $22.69 and a twelve month high of $52.25.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The insurance provider reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Kemper will post 2.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jason N. Gorevic bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $25.91 per share, for a total transaction of $129,550.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 31,802 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $823,989.82. The trade was a 18.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Stephen J. Mcanena purchased 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $26.50 per share, for a total transaction of $79,500.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 30,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $820,042.50. The trade was a 10.74% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders purchased 14,000 shares of company stock worth $367,880 in the last three months. 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in KMPR. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Kemper by 187.1% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 646 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 421 shares during the last quarter. Nykredit A S bought a new position in Kemper in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its position in Kemper by 616.7% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 946 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in Kemper by 456.6% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,436 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in Kemper by 181.8% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,654 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 1,067 shares in the last quarter. 86.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kemper Company Profile

Kemper Corporation is an insurance holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company provides property and casualty insurance and life and health insurance products to individuals, families and businesses across the United States.

Kemper's property and casualty operations focus on personal automobile insurance, including coverage for drivers who may have difficulty obtaining insurance through standard carriers. The company also offers home, renters and other personal insurance products, as well as specialty insurance solutions distributed through independent agents and other channels.

Through Kemper Life, the company provides life insurance products designed primarily for individuals and families, including coverage intended to help with final expenses and other financial needs.

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