Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Given New $48.00 Price Target at UBS Group

Key Points

• UBS cut its price target on Kemper from $56 to $48 but kept a "buy" rating, implying roughly a 52.7% upside from the previous close.
• Kemper's latest quarter missed expectations (EPS $0.25 vs. $0.85 forecast; revenue $1.13B vs. $1.22B) and several analyst downgrades have produced a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Reduce" with a $54.50 consensus target.
• The stock trades around $31.43 (market cap ≈ $1.85B, P/E 14.35), is well below its 200-day moving average of $38.99, and has high institutional ownership (~86%).

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) had its price target cut by stock analysts at UBS Group from $56.00 to $48.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the insurance provider's stock. UBS Group's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 52.70% from the stock's previous close.

KMPR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings lowered Kemper from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. William Blair lowered Kemper from a "market perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Citizens Jmp lowered Kemper from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Zacks Research lowered Kemper from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kemper from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Kemper presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $54.50.

Kemper Stock Performance

KMPR traded down $0.35 on Wednesday, hitting $31.43. The company had a trading volume of 1,063,782 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,012,596. The company's fifty day moving average price is $32.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $38.99. Kemper has a 1-year low of $28.41 and a 1-year high of $66.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.18 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $1.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.35 and a beta of 1.14.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State of Wyoming raised 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 acquiring an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System raised 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 acquiring an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. 86.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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