Shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF – Get Free Report) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the five brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $33.33.
Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AMSF. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AMERISAFE from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 31st. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Morgan Stanley set a $40.00 target price on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Monday, October 12th. Citizens Jmp decreased their price target on shares of AMERISAFE from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, October 26th.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMERISAFE
A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in AMERISAFE during the second quarter valued at about $122,167,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in AMERISAFE in the second quarter worth about $18,755,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in AMERISAFE in the second quarter worth about $3,583,000. Palisade Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in AMERISAFE in the second quarter worth about $3,145,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 125.0% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 138,584 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $4,619,000 after buying an additional 76,989 shares during the period. 97.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
AMERISAFE Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $20.33 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $376.71 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.46 and a beta of 0.23. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $24.44 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $30.63. AMERISAFE has a 52-week low of $19.99 and a 52-week high of $42.10.
AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The insurance provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.08). AMERISAFE had a net margin of 12.10% and a return on equity of 14.15%. The firm had revenue of $79.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $84.72 million. As a group, equities analysts forecast that AMERISAFE will post 1.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
AMERISAFE Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 4th will be paid a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 4th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio is 76.28%.
AMERISAFE Company Profile
AMERISAFE, Inc is a specialty workers’ compensation insurance company serving small and midsized businesses. The company focuses on employers in industries with elevated workplace risks, including construction, trucking, logging, agriculture, manufacturing, and maritime operations.
Through its insurance subsidiaries, AMERISAFE provides workers’ compensation coverage designed to protect businesses from costs associated with workplace injuries and occupational illnesses. Its services also include workplace safety and loss-control support, claims management, medical cost containment, and premium audit services.
Headquartered in DeRidder, Louisiana, AMERISAFE primarily serves employers in the southeastern and south-central United States.
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