Weiss Ratings Reiterates Hold (C) Rating for Kemper (NYSE:KMPR)

Key Points

• Weiss Ratings has reiterated a "Hold (C)" rating for Kemper (NYSE:KMPR), reflecting a cautious outlook from investment analysts.
• Kemper recently reported a missed earnings per share estimate of $1.30, falling short of the expected $1.52, although its revenue grew 8.5% year-over-year.
• The company has initiated a $500 million stock buyback program, indicating confidence from the board that the shares are undervalued.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c)" rating restated by investment analysts at Weiss Ratings in a research note issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Kemper in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. JMP Securities reduced 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. Wall Street Zen cut Kemper from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an "underweight" rating and set a $50.00 target price (down from $75.00) on shares of Kemper in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kemper presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $72.75.

Kemper Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:KMPR opened at $49.88 on Wednesday. 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 has a 52-week low of $45.02 and a 52-week high of $73.01. The company has a 50 day moving average of $53.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $58.99. The company has a market capitalization of $3.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.39 and a beta of 1.25.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) last issued 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 net margin of 7.18% and a return on equity of 14.39%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.23 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.42 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Kemper will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kemper declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock 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 purchase up to 12.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kemper

In other news, Director Gerald Laderman acquired 3,000 shares of Kemper stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 7th. The shares were purchased 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 directly owned 24,635 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,216,229.95. This trade represents a 13.87% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Jason N. Gorevic acquired 2,000 shares of Kemper stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $49.14 per share, for a total transaction of $98,280.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 22,072 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,084,618.08. The trade was a 9.96% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 6.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kemper

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Kemper by 87.0% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,337 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $89,000 after buying an additional 622 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC increased its position in Kemper by 59.7% in the first quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 19,400 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,297,000 after buying an additional 7,255 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC increased its position in Kemper by 74.7% in the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 35,334 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,362,000 after buying an additional 15,106 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new stake in Kemper in the first quarter worth $301,000. Finally, KBC Group NV increased its position in Kemper by 14.3% in the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,948 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $197,000 after buying an additional 369 shares during the period. 86.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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