Kemper Co. (NYSE:KMPR) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts

Kemper Co. (NYSE:KMPR) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the five analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $81.60.

A number of research firms have commented on KMPR. StockNews.com raised Kemper from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Raymond James boosted their price target on Kemper from $75.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 26th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target on Kemper from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th.

Kemper Trading Down 3.0 %

Kemper stock opened at $64.67 on Friday. Kemper has a 12-month low of $54.11 and a 12-month high of $73.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.17 and a beta of 0.88. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $66.77 and a 200 day moving average of $65.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.40. Kemper had a net margin of 6.85% and a return on equity of 14.11%. As a group, research analysts predict that Kemper will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Kemper Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a $0.32 dividend. This is an increase from Kemper’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.98%. Kemper’s payout ratio is presently 26.07%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Kemper by 69.7% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 25,258 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,678,000 after purchasing an additional 10,373 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in shares of Kemper in the 4th quarter worth about $5,386,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Kemper during the 4th quarter valued at about $251,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kemper by 15.7% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 189,240 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $12,573,000 after acquiring an additional 25,714 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP lifted its holdings in shares of Kemper by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 258,300 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $17,161,000 after acquiring an additional 21,900 shares during the last quarter. 86.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.