AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Raised to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

AMSF has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Citizens Jmp reduced their price target on shares of AMERISAFE from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley set a $40.00 price target on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Monday, October 12th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on AMERISAFE from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $33.33.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

Shares of AMERISAFE stock opened at $20.91 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $387.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.48 and a beta of 0.24. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $24.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $30.98. AMERISAFE has a one year low of $20.87 and a one year high of $42.10.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The insurance provider reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.08). AMERISAFE had a net margin of 12.10% and a return on equity of 14.15%. The firm had revenue of $79.81 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $84.72 million. On average, analysts predict that AMERISAFE will post 1.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMSF. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of AMERISAFE during the third quarter valued at $417,000. Isthmus Partners LLC grew its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 28.1% during the third quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 136,969 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,237,000 after acquiring an additional 30,083 shares during the last quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE in the 3rd quarter worth about $431,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in AMERISAFE by 978.4% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,650 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,497 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in AMERISAFE in the 2nd quarter valued at about $411,000. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AMERISAFE News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AMERISAFE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AMERISAFE declared a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share, or $1.64 annualized, representing an approximately 7.1% yield. The dividend is payable December 11 to shareholders of record December 4. AMERISAFE dividend and earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects workers’ compensation loss costs to decline by roughly 5% to 6% into 2027, which could support underwriting profitability if pricing and claims trends stabilize. AMERISAFE loss cost outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Citizens lowered its price target from $40 to $35 but maintained a “market outperform” rating, while Truist cut its target from $27 to $25 and retained a “hold” rating. Both targets remain above the current trading level, but the reductions signal lower near-term earnings expectations. AMERISAFE Citizens price target
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted earnings were $0.40 per share, below estimates near $0.47-$0.49 and down from $0.55 a year earlier. Revenue of approximately $76.7 million to $79.8 million also missed expectations of roughly $84.7-$85.9 million. AMERISAFE third-quarter earnings miss
• Negative Sentiment: The quarter marked a fifth consecutive earnings decline, while eroding margins, higher commission costs and falling new-business volumes raised concerns about operating leverage and competitive pricing. AMERISAFE Q3 earnings and margin report

AMERISAFE Company Profile

AMERISAFE, Inc is a specialty workers’ compensation insurance company serving small and midsized businesses. The company focuses on employers in industries with elevated workplace risks, including construction, trucking, logging, agriculture, manufacturing, and maritime operations.

Through its insurance subsidiaries, AMERISAFE provides workers’ compensation coverage designed to protect businesses from costs associated with workplace injuries and occupational illnesses. Its services also include workplace safety and loss-control support, claims management, medical cost containment, and premium audit services.

Headquartered in DeRidder, Louisiana, AMERISAFE primarily serves employers in the southeastern and south-central United States.