Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Reaches New 1-Year Low on Disappointing Earnings

Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The stock traded as low as $30.05 and last traded at $34.5670, with a volume of 420452 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $38.50.

The insurance provider reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85 by ($0.60). The firm had revenue of $1.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.22 billion. Kemper had a net margin of 5.13% and a return on equity of 11.48%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.78 EPS.

Kemper Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. 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 is currently 33.42%.

Key Headlines Impacting Kemper

Here are the key news stories impacting Kemper this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.32/share (3.3% yield) payable Mar 3, which offers income support and can attract yield‑focused buyers. Kemper Announces Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: P/E and valuation context: the stock trades at a relatively low P/E (~8.2) and near its 52‑week low, which could make it attractive to value investors if operational issues prove transitory. MarketBeat KMPR Quote
• Neutral Sentiment: Management materials and the earnings call transcript are available; review these for details on reserve development, expense plans, and any updated guidance. Listen to Conference Call / Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and screens (Zacks, earnings snapshots) provide line‑item comparisons to estimates — useful for modeling reserve and segment trends but not new catalysts by themselves. Zacks: How Key Metrics Compare
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results missed materially: EPS $0.25 vs. consensus ~$0.85 and revenue $1.13B vs. ~$1.22B; revenue was down ~4.7% YoY. The magnitude of the miss is the primary near‑term driver of the stock’s weakness. MarketBeat Q4 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Management highlighted auto‑segment headwinds and is implementing restructuring — factors that could pressure near‑term results and investor confidence while costs of restructuring are incurred. KMPR Q4 Deep Dive: Auto Segment Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst action: Citizens Jmp downgraded KMPR from “outperform” to “market perform,” removing some buy‑side support after the quarter. Benzinga Downgrade Note

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kemper

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Kemper by 40.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,780,270 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $143,323,000 after acquiring an additional 795,131 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kemper by 129.8% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,115,660 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $57,512,000 after purchasing an additional 630,241 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Kemper in the third quarter worth about $24,340,000. UBS Group AG increased its stake in Kemper by 284.8% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 621,829 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $32,055,000 after buying an additional 460,217 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Kemper by 12.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,776,543 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $143,131,000 after buying an additional 316,216 shares in the last quarter. 86.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kemper Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a market capitalization of $2.01 billion, a PE ratio of 8.95 and a beta of 1.14. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $39.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $46.41.

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.