Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Price Target Lowered to $75.00 at JMP Securities

Key Points

• JMP Securities lowered the price target for Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) from $85.00 to $75.00, indicating a potential upside of 53.67% from its previous close.
• Kemper shares fell 20.6% on Wednesday, impacting its trading price to $48.81, significantly below its 12-month high of $73.01.
• Despite recent downgrades, Kemper's stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a current price target averaging around $72.40.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by stock analysts at JMP Securities from $85.00 to $75.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "market outperform" rating on the insurance provider's stock. JMP Securities' price objective suggests a potential upside of 53.67% from the company's previous close.

KMPR has been the topic of several other reports. Piper Sandler reissued an "underweight" rating and issued a $50.00 price objective (down from $75.00) on shares of Kemper in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kemper from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $72.40.

Kemper Stock Down 20.6%

Shares of NYSE KMPR traded down $12.68 on Wednesday, reaching $48.81. 1,811,745 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 505,347. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $62.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $63.47. Kemper has a 12 month low of $45.02 and a 12 month high of $73.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $3.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.12 and a beta of 1.27.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.52 by ($0.22). The business had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. Kemper had a net margin of 7.38% and a return on equity of 15.02%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.42 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Kemper will post 6.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kemper announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, August 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the insurance provider to purchase up to 12.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Kemper

In other news, Director Gerald Laderman acquired 2,500 shares of Kemper stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $62.24 per share, with a total value of $155,600.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 21,635 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,346,562.40. This trade represents a 13.07% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Alberto J. Paracchini purchased 500 shares of Kemper stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $61.71 per share, with a total value of $30,855.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 10,323 shares in the company, valued at approximately $637,032.33. The trade was a 5.09% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.76% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kemper

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Kemper by 69.2% in the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 916,195 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $60,661,000 after acquiring an additional 374,798 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kemper during the 4th quarter worth about $23,325,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its position in shares of Kemper by 83.3% during the 1st quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 730,175 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $48,813,000 after buying an additional 331,770 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Kemper by 673.8% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 262,650 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $17,558,000 after buying an additional 228,707 shares during the period. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its position in shares of Kemper by 175.8% in the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 314,295 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $20,882,000 after purchasing an additional 200,346 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.23% of the company's stock.

About Kemper

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.

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