Barclays PLC Raises Position in Kemper Co. (NYSE:KMPR)

Barclays PLC raised its stake in Kemper Co. (NYSE:KMPR - Free Report) by 158.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 75,036 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 45,969 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.12% of Kemper worth $4,987,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of KMPR. Boston Partners lifted its position in Kemper by 108.2% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,105,859 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $73,363,000 after buying an additional 574,730 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in shares of Kemper by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 543,044 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $36,080,000 after buying an additional 28,807 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Kemper by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 425,221 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $28,252,000 after acquiring an additional 28,196 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in Kemper by 10.7% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 371,144 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $24,659,000 after buying an additional 36,004 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Kemper in the fourth quarter worth about $23,325,000. 86.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on KMPR. StockNews.com raised Kemper from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Kemper from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kemper has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $81.60.

Kemper Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KMPR traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $59.13. 329,430 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 365,651. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The stock has a market cap of $3.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.05 and a beta of 1.05. Kemper Co. has a one year low of $53.57 and a one year high of $73.01. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $62.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.34.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.40. Kemper had a net margin of 6.85% and a return on equity of 14.11%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kemper Co. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kemper Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 18th. This is a positive change from Kemper's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. Kemper's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.07%.

Kemper 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.