AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Downgraded to “Sell” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note released on Friday.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. TheStreet upgraded shares of AMERISAFE from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th. JMP Securities reiterated a market outperform rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, April 15th.

AMERISAFE Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ AMSF opened at $45.56 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $50.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $49.52. AMERISAFE has a 52-week low of $44.88 and a 52-week high of $57.06. The firm has a market cap of $872.02 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.19 and a beta of 0.32.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.08. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 19.97% and a return on equity of 16.48%. The business had revenue of $73.88 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $75.15 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that AMERISAFE will post 2.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 14th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.25%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 14th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.11%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMERISAFE

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new position in shares of AMERISAFE in the third quarter worth about $1,962,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 8.8% in the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,680 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $406,000 after buying an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new position in AMERISAFE during the third quarter worth about $1,126,000. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund purchased a new position in AMERISAFE during the third quarter worth about $533,000. Finally, Dark Forest Capital Management LP raised its stake in AMERISAFE by 81.0% during the third quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 10,640 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $533,000 after purchasing an additional 4,763 shares during the period. 97.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AMERISAFE Company Profile

AMERISAFE, Inc, an insurance holding company, underwrites workers' compensation insurance in the United States. The company provides benefits to injured employees for temporary or permanent disability, death, and medical and hospital expenses. It sells its products through retail and wholesale brokers and agents; and small and mid-sized employers engaged in hazardous industries, including construction, trucking, logging and lumber, agriculture, manufacturing, telecommunications, and maritime.