Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Hits New 52-Week High on Earnings Beat

Kemper Co. (NYSE:KMPR - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $67.22 and last traded at $65.46, with a volume of 24615 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $64.16.

The insurance provider reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.32. The business had revenue of $1.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. Kemper had a return on equity of 7.27% and a net margin of 1.11%. Kemper's revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.44) EPS.

Kemper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th were given a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.99%. Kemper's payout ratio is 158.98%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on KMPR. JMP Securities reissued a "market outperform" rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of Kemper in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Kemper from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. UBS Group raised their target price on Kemper from $67.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Kemper from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, September 8th. Finally, Raymond James boosted their price objective on Kemper from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $76.20.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in KMPR. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kemper by 114.7% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 541 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in shares of Kemper by 5,590.0% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 569 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 559 shares during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kemper in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of Kemper by 105.1% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 642 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in Kemper by 89.0% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,215 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 572 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.23% of the company's stock.

Kemper Stock Down 2.9 %

The company has a market cap of $4.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 84.89 and a beta of 0.85. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $61.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.55. The company has a current ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

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.