AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Short Interest Up 59.2% in December

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 274,038 shares, a growth of 59.2% from the December 15th total of 172,088 shares. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 150,789 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.8 days. Based on an average trading volume of 150,789 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.8 days. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Insider Transactions at AMERISAFE

In other AMERISAFE news, CFO Anastasios Omiridis sold 1,247 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.21, for a total transaction of $50,141.87. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 2,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $102,093.19. This trade represents a 32.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.61% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMSF. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 170.5% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 779 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 491 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 346.9% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 943 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 732 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in AMERISAFE by 38.6% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,633 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 455 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in AMERISAFE by 87.9% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,920 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $84,000 after buying an additional 898 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Asset Planning Inc. bought a new position in AMERISAFE in the second quarter valued at about $113,000. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $38.12 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $721.38 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.61 and a beta of 0.36. AMERISAFE has a fifty-two week low of $36.33 and a fifty-two week high of $53.27. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $39.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $42.17.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The insurance provider reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55. The business had revenue of $71.29 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $78.29 million. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 16.94% and a net margin of 16.12%. Research analysts predict that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a special dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th were given a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. This represents a dividend yield of 420.0%. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.77%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on AMSF shares. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 target price on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen lowered AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Citizens Jmp reduced their price target on AMERISAFE from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, JMP Securities decreased their price objective on AMERISAFE from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AMERISAFE has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $55.00.

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.