SG Americas Securities LLC Boosts Holdings in Kemper Corporation $KMPR

Key Points

• SG Americas Securities increased its stake in Kemper by 361% in Q4, owning 78,507 shares worth about $3.18 million, while institutional investors hold roughly 86.23% of the stock.
• Multiple research firms have recently downgraded Kemper, leaving a consensus analyst rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $56.50.
• Kemper's latest quarter missed expectations (EPS $0.25 vs. $0.85 expected; revenue $1.13B vs. $1.22B expected), the stock trades near its 52-week low (~$30.62), and the company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.32 (about a 4.2% yield).

SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR - Free Report) by 361.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 78,507 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 61,479 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC owned about 0.13% of Kemper worth $3,183,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of KMPR. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Kemper by 1,098.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 587 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 538 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in Kemper by 73.5% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 656 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Kemper during the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in Kemper during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in Kemper by 194.6% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 881 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 582 shares during the period. 86.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on KMPR. Citigroup downgraded Kemper to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Citizens Jmp downgraded Kemper from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Zacks Research cut Kemper from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. UBS Group set a $56.00 price target on Kemper in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, William Blair lowered Kemper from a "market perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $56.50.

Kemper Trading Up 0.0%

Kemper stock opened at $30.62 on Friday. Kemper Corporation has a 52-week low of $28.41 and a 52-week high of $66.23. The company has a market cap of $1.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.98 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $32.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.46.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.85 by ($0.60). Kemper had a return on equity of 8.02% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $1.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.78 earnings per share. Kemper's revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Kemper Corporation will post 6.03 EPS for the current year.

Kemper Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. Kemper's dividend payout ratio is currently 58.45%.

Kemper Company Profile

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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