AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Cut to “Sell” at Wall Street Zen

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

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on AMSF. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 price target on AMERISAFE in a report on Friday, January 16th. Citizens Jmp cut their target price on shares of AMERISAFE from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 16th. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of AMERISAFE from $45.00 to $36.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $48.67.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

Shares of AMSF opened at $32.53 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $37.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $40.74. The company has a market capitalization of $615.47 million, a P/E ratio of 13.17 and a beta of 0.35. AMERISAFE has a fifty-two week low of $32.00 and a fifty-two week high of $53.27.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The insurance provider reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.06). AMERISAFE had a net margin of 14.86% and a return on equity of 15.66%. The company had revenue of $81.59 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $80.05 million. Analysts forecast that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMERISAFE

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AMSF. VARCOV Co. acquired a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE in the fourth quarter worth approximately $419,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL purchased a new position in AMERISAFE in the 4th quarter valued at $360,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in AMERISAFE by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 193,628 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $7,437,000 after purchasing an additional 1,803 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 18.6% during the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 12,218 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $469,000 after buying an additional 1,913 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP raised its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 175.9% in the fourth quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 56,048 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,153,000 after buying an additional 35,735 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

Key AMERISAFE News

Here are the key news stories impacting AMERISAFE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly dividend ~5.1% (annualized yield ~4.9%), which supports income-focused investors and signals capital-return confidence. AMERISAFE Increases Dividend by 5.1%
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and written premiums showed year-over-year growth in Q4 and management highlighted solid ROE on the earnings call — positives for longer-term underwriting trends. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings call and multiple transcripts are available; they provide detail but contain mixed signals (premium growth vs. expense pressure). Useful for investors doing deeper due diligence. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed consensus ($0.51 vs. ~$0.57); expenses rose, compressing margins despite higher premiums and investment income — the primary near-term driver of the share decline. AMSF Misses on Q4 Earnings Despite Rising Premiums, Hikes Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: Truist cut its price target from $45 to $36 and set a “hold” rating; an analyst downgrade/target cut increases selling pressure and may anchor near-term sentiment. Truist Lowers Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose materially in February (reports show ~372,998 shares at one point, ~2% of float) and there have been recent insider sales; both can amplify downward moves and volatility. Quiver Quant Coverage (contains short/insider data)
• Negative Sentiment: Technically the stock is trading below its 50- and 200-day moving averages, which typically weighs on sentiment and can trigger additional selling from trend-following funds.

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.