AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Short Interest Update

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 282,598 shares, a decline of 14.9% from the March 15th total of 332,239 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 266,444 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.1 days. Currently, 1.5% of the company’s shares are short sold.

AMERISAFE Stock Up 1.4%

NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $34.00 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $34.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.83. The stock has a market cap of $639.20 million, a P/E ratio of 13.77 and a beta of 0.31. AMERISAFE has a twelve month low of $32.00 and a twelve month high of $50.07.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The insurance provider reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $81.59 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.05 million. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 15.89% and a net margin of 14.86%. On average, analysts expect that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio is presently 66.40%.

Institutional Trading of AMERISAFE

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 142.4% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 159.6% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 714 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 439 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its stake in AMERISAFE by 346.9% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 943 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the period. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in AMERISAFE in the fourth quarter worth $54,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in AMERISAFE by 38.6% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,633 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 455 shares in the last quarter. 97.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on AMSF. Citizens Jmp dropped their price target on shares of AMERISAFE from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 price objective on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of AMERISAFE from $45.00 to $36.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded AMERISAFE from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AMERISAFE presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.33.

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.