AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Stock Has Average Target Price of $44.00

Shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the five ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $35.67.

A number of brokerages have weighed in on AMSF. Truist Financial decreased their price target on AMERISAFE from $32.00 to $27.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley set a $40.00 price objective on AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Monday. Citizens Jmp dropped their price objective on AMERISAFE from $42.00 to $40.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded AMERISAFE from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 28th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMERISAFE

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in AMERISAFE in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in AMERISAFE by 5,714.3% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 814 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 800 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP bought a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE during the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE during the second quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE during the second quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $24.64 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $25.46 and its 200-day moving average is $29.69. AMERISAFE has a 52 week low of $23.20 and a 52 week high of $42.21. The firm has a market cap of $456.83 million, a P/E ratio of 12.32 and a beta of 0.24.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $91.97 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $85.09 million. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 14.87% and a net margin of 14.00%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AMERISAFE will post 1.95 earnings per share for the current year.

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th were issued a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 11th. AMERISAFE’s payout ratio is presently 66.13%.

AMERISAFE Company Profile

AMERISAFE, Inc (NASDAQ: AMSF) is a specialty workers’ compensation insurance company serving small and midsize employers in industries with elevated workplace risks. The company provides coverage designed to help businesses manage the costs associated with work-related injuries and occupational illnesses.

Its primary markets include construction, trucking, logging, agriculture, maritime operations, oil and gas, and other hazardous industries. In addition to insurance coverage, AMERISAFE emphasizes workplace safety, risk management, claims handling and return-to-work support to help policyholders reduce accidents and manage employee injuries.

Headquartered in DeRidder, Louisiana, AMERISAFE has historically focused on selected U.S.