71,786 Shares in Kemper Corporation $KMPR Acquired by Dark Forest Capital Management LP

Key Points

• Dark Forest Capital Management LP has invested approximately $4.80 million in Kemper Corporation, acquiring 71,786 shares, which represents about 0.11% ownership of the company.
• Analysts have varied opinions on Kemper, with ratings ranging from a "strong sell" by Zacks Research to a "buy" rating from Cowen, and an average target price set at $72.75.
• Kemper Corporation announced a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share and initiated a share repurchase plan allowing the purchase of up to $500 million in outstanding shares, indicating confidence in the company's valuation.

Dark Forest Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 71,786 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,799,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP owned about 0.11% of Kemper as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of KMPR. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Kemper by 0.8% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,759,405 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $184,466,000 after purchasing an additional 20,899 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners grew its holdings in shares of Kemper by 14.3% in the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,263,961 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $83,357,000 after purchasing an additional 158,102 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Kemper by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,238,284 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $82,271,000 after purchasing an additional 52,290 shares during the last quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP grew its holdings in shares of Kemper by 8.9% in the first quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 1,192,664 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $79,730,000 after purchasing an additional 97,770 shares during the last quarter. Finally, No Street GP LP grew its holdings in shares of Kemper by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. No Street GP LP now owns 1,100,000 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $73,084,000 after purchasing an additional 55,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.23% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on KMPR. Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Kemper in a report on Thursday, August 7th. JMP Securities cut their price target on shares of Kemper from $85.00 to $75.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kemper from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kemper to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "underweight" rating and issued a $50.00 price target (down previously from $75.00) on shares of Kemper in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $72.75.

Kemper Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:KMPR traded down $0.22 during trading on Friday, reaching $53.95. The stock had a trading volume of 1,012,246 shares, compared to its average volume of 826,568. Kemper Corporation has a one year low of $45.02 and a one year high of $73.01. The company has a market capitalization of $3.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.16 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $57.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $61.28.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.52 by ($0.22). Kemper had a net margin of 7.18% and a return on equity of 14.39%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.42 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Kemper Corporation will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kemper Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th were issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 18th. Kemper's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 24.11%.

Kemper announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, August 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the insurance provider to repurchase up to 12.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Jason N. Gorevic acquired 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $49.14 per share, with a total value of $98,280.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 22,072 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,084,618.08. This trade represents a 9.96% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gerald Laderman bought 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $49.37 per share, with a total value of $148,110.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 24,635 shares in the company, valued at $1,216,229.95. This represents a 13.87% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have bought 8,000 shares of company stock worth $432,845. Corporate insiders own 6.20% of the company's stock.

Kemper Company 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.