AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Sets New 1-Year Low Following Weak Earnings

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) hit a new 52-week low on Thursday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The company traded as low as $35.40 and last traded at $35.4250, with a volume of 16306 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $36.89.

The insurance provider reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $81.59 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $80.05 million. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 16.94% and a net margin of 16.12%.

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.77%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AMSF. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Citizens Jmp cut their price objective on shares of AMERISAFE from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AMERISAFE from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 target price on AMERISAFE in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $53.33.

Institutional Trading of AMERISAFE

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. VARCOV Co. acquired a new position in shares of AMERISAFE during the 4th quarter worth about $419,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL acquired a new stake in AMERISAFE in the 4th quarter worth about $360,000. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in AMERISAFE by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 193,628 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $7,437,000 after buying an additional 1,803 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in AMERISAFE by 18.6% during the 4th quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 12,218 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $469,000 after buying an additional 1,913 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP raised its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 175.9% during the fourth quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 56,048 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,153,000 after acquiring an additional 35,735 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

AMERISAFE Stock Down 5.8%

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $38.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $40.87. The firm has a market cap of $657.47 million, a PE ratio of 13.31 and a beta of 0.35.

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.