Wall Street Zen Downgrades Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) to Sell

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Kemper from “hold” to “sell,” while the broader analyst consensus is “Reduce” with an average price target of $43.25.
• Kemper shares opened at $26.52, near the lower end of their 52-week range, after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.45 that exceeded estimates but revenue of $1.09 billion that fell short and declined 10.8% year over year.
• Despite the bearish rating, insiders bought 14,000 shares worth $367,880 over the past three months, while institutional investors own 86.23% of the company.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report released on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Kemper from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Kemper from $44.00 to $43.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Kemper from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their target price on Kemper from $81.00 to $42.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kemper presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $43.25.

Kemper Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE KMPR opened at $26.52 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 stock's 50 day moving average price is $27.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.83. Kemper has a 52-week low of $22.69 and a 52-week high of $53.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.56 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.16 and a beta of 1.04.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The insurance provider reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. The business's revenue was down 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Kemper will post 2.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kemper news, Director Jason Gorevic bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $25.91 per share, for a total transaction of $129,550.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 31,802 shares in the company, valued at $823,989.82. The trade was a 18.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Bradley Camden purchased 1,000 shares of Kemper stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $26.34 per share, with a total value of $26,340.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 51,259 shares in the company, valued at $1,350,162.06. This trade represents a 1.99% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders purchased 14,000 shares of company stock worth $367,880. 0.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kemper

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Kemper during the second quarter worth approximately $227,331,000. Walleye Capital LLC bought a new position in Kemper during the 2nd quarter valued at $21,709,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Kemper during the 2nd quarter valued at $20,800,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Kemper by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 672,685 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $20,557,000 after buying an additional 32,753 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Kemper in the 1st quarter worth $18,074,000. Institutional investors own 86.23% of the company's stock.

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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