AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Thursday . Approximately 150,700 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 24% from the previous session’s volume of 199,429 shares.The stock last traded at $30.8650 and had previously closed at $30.15.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AMSF has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised AMERISAFE from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 23rd. Citizens Jmp cut their price objective on AMERISAFE from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Truist Financial cut their price objective on AMERISAFE from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut AMERISAFE from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $44.67.

AMERISAFE Trading Up 3.0%

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $35.43. The stock has a market cap of $592.79 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.05 and a beta of 0.24.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.52 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $80.09 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $90.49 million. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 14.27% and a return on equity of 15.34%. On average, equities analysts expect that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.08 earnings per share for the current year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 12th will be issued a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 12th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.2%. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio is 67.49%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMERISAFE

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMSF. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its holdings in AMERISAFE by 142.4% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in AMERISAFE by 159.6% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 714 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in AMERISAFE by 5,714.3% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 814 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP raised its holdings in AMERISAFE by 346.9% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 943 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in AMERISAFE by 148.2% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,571 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 938 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

AMERISAFE Company Profile

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.