Walleye Capital LLC Buys 6,005 Shares of Kemper Corporation $KMPR

Key Points

• Walleye Capital LLC increased its stake in Kemper Corporation by 35.5%, holding a total of 22,915 shares worth approximately $1.53 million as of the end of the first quarter.
• Company insiders recently purchased 8,000 shares of Kemper, indicating a positive outlook on the stock's value.
• Kemper announced a $500 million share repurchase program, allowing it to buy back up to 12.8% of its outstanding shares, suggesting management believes the stock is undervalued.

Walleye Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR - Free Report) by 35.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 22,915 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 6,005 shares during the period. Walleye Capital LLC's holdings in Kemper were worth $1,532,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC raised its stake in Kemper by 4.0% during the first quarter. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC now owns 19,587 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,309,000 after buying an additional 753 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC increased its stake in Kemper by 59.7% in the first quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 19,400 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,297,000 after purchasing an additional 7,255 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Kemper by 0.8% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,759,405 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $184,466,000 after purchasing an additional 20,899 shares in the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in Kemper by 12.6% in the first quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 90,448 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $6,046,000 after purchasing an additional 10,145 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Kemper by 14.6% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 15,523 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,038,000 after purchasing an additional 1,972 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.23% of the company's stock.

Kemper Stock Down 1.4%

Kemper stock traded down $0.77 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $53.60. 299,226 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 576,411. Kemper Corporation has a 52-week low of $45.02 and a 52-week high of $73.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.10 and a beta of 1.30. The business's 50-day moving average price is $58.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $61.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) last released its 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). The company had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.23 billion. Kemper had a net margin of 7.18% and a return on equity of 14.39%. The firm's revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.42 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Kemper Corporation will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kemper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th were paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. 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 is presently 24.11%.

Kemper announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, August 5th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the insurance provider to reacquire up to 12.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on KMPR. Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Kemper in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Piper Sandler reiterated an "underweight" rating and set a $50.00 price objective (down from $75.00) on shares of Kemper in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kemper to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, August 11th. JMP Securities reduced their price objective on shares of Kemper from $85.00 to $75.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kemper from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kemper has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $72.75.

Insider Activity at Kemper

In other Kemper news, Director Alberto J. Paracchini purchased 500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $61.71 per share, for a total transaction of $30,855.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 10,323 shares of the company's stock, valued at $637,032.33. This represents a 5.09% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Jason N. Gorevic bought 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $49.14 per share, for a total transaction of $98,280.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 22,072 shares in the company, valued at $1,084,618.08. This trade represents a 9.96% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 8,000 shares of company stock worth $432,845. 0.76% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.