Short Interest in Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR) Increases By 17.7%

Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 2,907,812 shares, a growth of 17.7% from the February 12th total of 2,470,122 shares. Currently, 5.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 968,953 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.0 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 968,953 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.0 days. Currently, 5.0% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on KMPR shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Kemper from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kemper from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. William Blair downgraded shares of Kemper from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Citigroup lowered shares of Kemper to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Kemper from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $56.50.

Kemper Stock Performance

Kemper stock traded down $0.56 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $29.65. The stock had a trading volume of 237,526 shares, compared to its average volume of 876,948. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.74 billion, a PE ratio of 13.54 and a beta of 1.16. Kemper has a 12 month low of $28.41 and a 12 month high of $69.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $34.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $41.40.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The insurance provider reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85 by ($0.60). Kemper had a return on equity of 8.02% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business had revenue of $1.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.78 EPS. Kemper’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Kemper will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kemper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.3%. Kemper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.45%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kemper

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Kemper by 1,098.0% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 587 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 538 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank grew its position in shares of Kemper by 187.1% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 646 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 421 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in shares of Kemper by 73.5% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 656 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kemper during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in Kemper during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors own 86.23% of the company’s stock.

About Kemper

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.