Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR) Given Consensus Rating of "Reduce" by Brokerages

Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Reduce" from the nine ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $52.75.

A number of research firms have commented on KMPR. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kemper from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Kemper from $35.00 to $28.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Zacks Research raised shares of Kemper from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Citizens Jmp cut shares of Kemper from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Kemper from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th.

Kemper News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kemper this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Kemper announced a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, a move that supports the stock’s income appeal and signals continued capital return to shareholders.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also reduced its credit facility to improve cost efficiency, which may help streamline financing and lower expenses over time.
• Neutral Sentiment: At its annual meeting, shareholders re-elected the board and backed pay and auditor oversight proposals, suggesting no major governance disruption.
• Negative Sentiment: Kemper reported Q1 EPS of $0.21 versus expectations for $0.81, with revenue of $1.11 billion below estimates and down year over year, reinforcing concern about near-term earnings momentum.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts highlighted ongoing auto-market headwinds and weaker-than-expected results, with William Blair reiterating a Sell rating on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Management outlined a goal to reduce the specialty auto expense ratio below 20%, but that target underscores current pressure on profitability and the need for operational improvement.

Kemper Trading Up 3.2%

NYSE KMPR opened at $30.33 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $31.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.52. Kemper has a 12 month low of $27.74 and a 12 month high of $66.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.18 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.91 and a beta of 1.16.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.81 by ($0.60). Kemper had a net margin of 0.89% and a return on equity of 4.80%. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.65 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kemper will post 3.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Kemper Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.2%. Kemper's dividend payout ratio is 58.45%.

Institutional Trading of Kemper

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State of Wyoming increased its stake in Kemper by 4.7% during the second quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 4,431 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $286,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in Kemper by 1.4% during the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 17,990 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $927,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Kemper by 9.2% during the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,278 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $169,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in Kemper by 73.5% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 656 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the period. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its stake in Kemper by 2.4% during the third quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 12,600 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $650,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. 86.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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