AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $55.00.

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JMP Securities decreased their target price on shares of AMERISAFE from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Friday. Citizens Jmp reduced their target price on AMERISAFE from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Anastasios Omiridis sold 1,247 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.21, for a total transaction of $50,141.87. Following 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.61% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Neuberger Berman Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 3.3% in the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 1,794,777 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $78,683,000 after buying an additional 56,610 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in AMERISAFE by 8.4% in the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 658,682 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $28,877,000 after acquiring an additional 50,765 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in AMERISAFE by 1.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 561,956 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $24,575,000 after acquiring an additional 7,420 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP boosted its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 21.3% during the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 555,621 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $24,358,000 after acquiring an additional 97,434 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 82.6% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 217,280 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $11,418,000 after acquiring an additional 98,293 shares during the period. 97.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AMERISAFE Trading Down 1.6%

AMERISAFE stock opened at $37.52 on Friday. AMERISAFE has a 12 month low of $36.33 and a 12 month high of $53.27. The company has a market capitalization of $709.88 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.38 and a beta of 0.36. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $39.07 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $42.08.

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

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were given a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. This represents a yield of 420.0%. AMERISAFE’s payout ratio is 59.77%.

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.