AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $55.00.

AMSF has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 price objective on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citizens Jmp decreased their price target on shares of AMERISAFE from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen cut AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Friday.

AMERISAFE Price Performance

AMSF stock opened at $38.43 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $39.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $42.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $727.10 million, a P/E ratio of 14.72 and a beta of 0.36. AMERISAFE has a 52-week low of $36.33 and a 52-week high of $53.27.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The insurance provider reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.55. The firm had revenue of $71.29 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $78.29 million. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 16.12% and a return on equity of 16.94%. Sell-side analysts predict that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a special dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. This represents a yield of 420.0%. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.77%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Anastasios Omiridis sold 1,247 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.21, for a total value of $50,141.87. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 2,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $102,093.19. This represents a 32.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.61% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AMERISAFE

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Neuberger Berman Group LLC lifted its stake in AMERISAFE by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 1,794,777 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $78,683,000 after purchasing an additional 56,610 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in AMERISAFE by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 658,682 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $28,877,000 after purchasing an additional 50,765 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 561,956 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $24,575,000 after acquiring an additional 7,420 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP raised its position in AMERISAFE by 21.3% in the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 555,621 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $24,358,000 after buying an additional 97,434 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 82.6% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 217,280 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $11,418,000 after purchasing an additional 98,293 shares during the last quarter. 97.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About AMERISAFE

Amerisafe, Inc (NASDAQ: AMSF) is a specialty provider of workers’ compensation insurance products and services in the United States. The company focuses on underwriting and managing workers’ compensation policies for small to mid-sized public and private businesses, particularly in higher-hazard industries such as retail, manufacturing, distribution and wholesale. Through its network of independent agents, Amerisafe delivers tailored coverage solutions that combine robust risk management support with loss prevention programs designed to enhance workplace safety.

In addition to core insurance offerings, Amerisafe provides extensive risk control resources, including safety training, on-site consultations and claims management services.