Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The insurance provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85 by ($0.60), FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $1.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.22 billion. Kemper had a return on equity of 7.89% and a net margin of 2.99%.Kemper’s revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.78 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Kemper’s conference call:

• The quarter missed expectations as specialty auto drove a consolidated net loss; the underlying P&C combined ratio rose to ~105% (101.2% excluding Florida refunds), with California bodily-injury severity and a $35M Florida statutory refund charge contributing to ~7% PIF and ~9% premium declines.
• Management is taking action to restore profitability — a $15.5M charge tied to restructuring has raised cumulative annualized run-rate savings to about $33M, and AI-enabled claims improvements plus a new personal-auto product (pilots in AZ/OR, planned rollout in FL/TX) target expense reduction, better pricing, and geographic diversification.
• The life business remains a stabilizer, delivering steady results with $20M adjusted net operating income for the quarter, ~$19.6B face value in force, higher average premium per policy, and consistent distributable cash flow.
• Balance sheet and cash generation provide flexibility — the company ended the quarter with over $1 billion of available liquidity, $585M TTM operating cash flow, $450M of debt retired and roughly $300M of share repurchases, improving debt-to-capital to 24.6%.
• Reserve risk persists in specialty auto — the company strengthened reserves (primarily commercial auto) for BI severity and defense costs tied to accident years 2023 and prior, noting prior‑year adverse development that could continue to pressure underwriting results.

Kemper Stock Up 3.9%

Shares of NYSE:KMPR traded up $1.30 during trading on Friday, reaching $34.76. The stock had a trading volume of 100,643 shares, compared to its average volume of 847,763. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $39.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Kemper has a one year low of $30.05 and a one year high of $69.87. The company has a market capitalization of $2.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.91 and a beta of 1.14.

Kemper Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. Kemper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.42%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kemper from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Kemper in a report on Monday, December 29th. Raymond James Financial downgraded Kemper from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $60.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Citizens Jmp lowered Kemper from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of Kemper from $50.00 to $35.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $56.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kemper

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KMPR. Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in shares of Kemper during the third quarter worth $36,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Kemper by 27.0% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,737 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $115,000 after buying an additional 369 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its stake in Kemper by 328.6% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,263 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $117,000 after buying an additional 1,735 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in Kemper during the 1st quarter valued at about $260,000. Finally, Creative Planning purchased a new stake in Kemper in the second quarter valued at about $273,000. 86.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Kemper

Here are the key news stories impacting Kemper this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.32 per share (payable Mar 3, ex-div Feb 17), which supports income investors and offsets some negative sentiment. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management hosted the Q4 2025 earnings call and released a transcript providing detail on results, cost actions and segment specifics — useful for investors assessing whether current issues are transitory or structural. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Deep-dive coverage highlights the auto-insurance segment as the key area of weakness and describes ongoing restructuring and expense actions; these actions could improve margins over time but create near-term uncertainty. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results materially missed estimates: EPS $0.25 vs. ~$0.85 expected and revenue ~$1.13B vs. ~$1.22B expected; year‑ago EPS was $1.78 — the miss drove immediate downward pressure on the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares reacted sharply to the earnings miss in multiple reports noting a tumble in the stock after the release — investors are worried about top‑line softness and profit margin pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst action: Citizens JMP downgraded KMPR from Outperform to Market Perform, citing the disappointing quarter and outlook risks — analyst downgrades add selling pressure and reduce near-term sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple “why the stock is falling” and market commentary pieces summarize the above drivers (earnings miss, auto‑segment weakness, downgrade), reinforcing negative headlines that likely keep shares muted until clearer signs of improvement. Read More.

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.