Kemper Corporation's (NYSE:KMPR) CEO Compensation Is Looking A Bit Stretched At The Moment

Key Insights

• Kemper will host its Annual General Meeting on 7th of May
• Salary of US$1.09m is part of CEO Joe Lacher's total remuneration
• Total compensation is 53% above industry average
• Over the past three years, Kemper's EPS grew by 65% and over the past three years, the total shareholder return was 24%

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Under the guidance of CEO Joe Lacher, Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR) has performed reasonably well recently. In light of this performance, CEO compensation will probably not be the main focus for shareholders as they go into the AGM on 7th of May. However, some shareholders may still be hesitant of being overly generous with CEO compensation.

Check out our latest analysis for Kemper

Comparing Kemper Corporation's CEO Compensation With The Industry

Our data indicates that Kemper Corporation has a market capitalization of US$3.8b, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as US$11m for the year to December 2024. Notably, that's an increase of 34% over the year before. While we always look at total compensation first, our analysis shows that the salary component is less, at US$1.1m.

For comparison, other companies in the American Insurance industry with market capitalizations ranging between US$2.0b and US$6.4b had a median total CEO compensation of US$7.5m. Accordingly, our analysis reveals that Kemper Corporation pays Joe Lacher north of the industry median. What's more, Joe Lacher holds US$8.6m worth of shares in the company in their own name, indicating that they have a lot of skin in the game.

Component	2024	2023	Proportion (2024)
Salary	US$1.1m	US$1.0m	10%
Other	US$10m	US$7.5m	90%
Total Compensation	US$11m	US$8.5m	100%

On an industry level, around 14% of total compensation represents salary and 86% is other remuneration. Kemper sets aside a smaller share of compensation for salary, in comparison to the overall industry. It's important to note that a slant towards non-salary compensation suggests that total pay is tied to the company's performance.

A Look at Kemper Corporation's Growth Numbers

Over the past three years, Kemper Corporation has seen its earnings per share (EPS) grow by 65% per year. It saw its revenue drop 6.2% over the last year.

This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently and is good news for the shareholders. It's always a tough situation when revenues are not growing, but ultimately profits are more important. Looking ahead, you might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for the company's future earnings..

Has Kemper Corporation Been A Good Investment?

Kemper Corporation has generated a total shareholder return of 24% over three years, so most shareholders would be reasonably content. But they would probably prefer not to see CEO compensation far in excess of the median.

In Summary...

Seeing that the company has put up a decent performance, only a few shareholders, if any at all, might have questions about the CEO pay in the upcoming AGM. However, any decision to raise CEO pay might be met with some objections from the shareholders given that the CEO is already paid higher than the industry average.

CEO compensation is one thing, but it is also interesting to check if the CEO is buying or selling Kemper (free visualization of insider trades).

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a different set of stocks. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.