Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Increases Stock Position in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF)

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) by 8.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 8,680 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in AMERISAFE were worth $406,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE in the second quarter valued at about $35,000. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE in the third quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Point72 Middle East FZE purchased a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE in the fourth quarter valued at about $48,000. 97.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AMERISAFE Stock Down 0.4 %

NASDAQ AMSF opened at $48.65 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $931.16 million, a P/E ratio of 15.06 and a beta of 0.32. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a 52-week low of $45.34 and a 52-week high of $57.06. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $50.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.58.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $73.88 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $75.15 million. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 20.24% and a return on equity of 17.19%. On average, equities research analysts expect that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. This is a boost from AMERISAFE’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.04%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.82%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AMSF has been the subject of a number of research reports. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Monday. TheStreet raised shares of AMERISAFE from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a report on Monday, March 4th.

About AMERISAFE

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.