AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 337,800 shares, a growth of 9.1% from the March 31st total of 309,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 140,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Monday, April 15th. StockNews.com lowered AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, TheStreet raised AMERISAFE from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AMSF opened at $44.98 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $50.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $49.46. The firm has a market cap of $860.92 million, a P/E ratio of 14.01 and a beta of 0.32. AMERISAFE has a 1 year low of $44.88 and a 1 year high of $57.06.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The insurance provider reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.03. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 16.76% and a net margin of 19.97%. The business had revenue of $80.49 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $75.22 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.83 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that AMERISAFE will post 2.47 EPS for the current year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 14th will be given a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 14th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.11%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AMERISAFE

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Inspire Investing LLC lifted its position in AMERISAFE by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 6,178 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $309,000 after acquiring an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 10,967 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $513,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates grew its holdings in AMERISAFE by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 46,287 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,318,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in AMERISAFE by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 104,820 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,248,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio increased its stake in AMERISAFE by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 13,900 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $695,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

AMERISAFE Company Profile

AMERISAFE, Inc, an insurance holding company, underwrites workers' compensation insurance in the United States. The company provides benefits to injured employees for temporary or permanent disability, death, and medical and hospital expenses. It sells its products through retail and wholesale brokers and agents; and small and mid-sized employers engaged in hazardous industries, including construction, trucking, logging and lumber, agriculture, manufacturing, telecommunications, and maritime.