Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Hits New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyKemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR – Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $29.86 and last traded at $30.31, with a volume of 214597 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $31.78.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several analysts have weighed in on the company. William Blair cut Kemper from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Citizens Jmp lowered Kemper from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Zacks Research lowered Kemper from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Citigroup cut Kemper to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Kemper from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kemper has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $56.50.
Check Out Our Latest Report on KMPR
Kemper Stock Down 5.7%
The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $36.20 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $42.57. The firm has a market cap of $1.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.68 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.18 and a quick ratio of 0.18.
Kemper (NYSE:KMPR – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85 by ($0.60). The company had revenue of $1.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.22 billion. Kemper had a return on equity of 8.02% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.78 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Kemper Corporation will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.
Kemper Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. Kemper’s dividend payout ratio is currently 58.45%.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kemper
Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mengis Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Kemper by 59.0% in the 4th quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. now owns 13,813 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $560,000 after purchasing an additional 5,125 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in Kemper by 24.6% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,969 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 389 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Kemper during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,123,000. XTX Topco Ltd raised its holdings in Kemper by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 65,211 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,644,000 after buying an additional 24,802 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kemper by 44.4% in the fourth quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 681,870 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $27,643,000 after buying an additional 209,706 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.23% of the company’s stock.
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.