Walleye Capital LLC Has $1.53 Million Stock Holdings in 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 lifted its position in Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR - Free Report) by 35.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,915 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 6,005 shares during the quarter. Walleye Capital LLC's holdings in Kemper were worth $1,532,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of KMPR. CX Institutional acquired a new position in shares of Kemper in the first quarter valued at $38,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of Kemper by 104.4% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 650 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co acquired a new position in shares of Kemper in the first quarter valued at $44,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Kemper in the first quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in shares of Kemper by 197.5% in the fourth quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 717 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 476 shares in the last quarter. 86.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other Kemper news, Director Gerald Laderman bought 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 7th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $49.37 per share, for a total transaction of $148,110.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 24,635 shares in the company, valued at $1,216,229.95. This represents a 13.87% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jason N. Gorevic bought 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $49.14 per share, with a total value of $98,280.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 22,072 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,084,618.08. This represents a 9.96% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 8,000 shares of company stock worth $432,845. 6.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KMPR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Kemper in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Piper Sandler restated an "underweight" rating and issued a $50.00 target price (down from $75.00) on shares of Kemper in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. JMP Securities cut their target price on Kemper from $85.00 to $75.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. Zacks Research upgraded Kemper to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Kemper from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. One 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $72.75.

Kemper Price Performance

Kemper stock traded up $0.35 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $54.29. 635,640 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 925,013. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The business has a fifty day moving average of $57.92 and a 200 day moving average of $61.36. Kemper Corporation has a 1-year low of $45.02 and a 1-year high of $73.01. The company has a market capitalization of $3.41 billion, a PE ratio of 10.22 and a beta of 1.30.

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

Kemper announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, August 5th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the insurance provider to purchase up to 12.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Kemper Dividend Announcement

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

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.