JPMorgan Chase & Co. Boosts Stock Position in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) by 132.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 80,642 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 45,916 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned about 0.42% of AMERISAFE worth $4,156,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Isthmus Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 63,926 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,295,000 after buying an additional 316 shares during the period. Values First Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. now owns 5,350 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $276,000 after acquiring an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 10,904 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $562,000 after buying an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in AMERISAFE by 63.4% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,343 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $69,000 after buying an additional 521 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd lifted its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 21,859 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,127,000 after purchasing an additional 690 shares during the period. 97.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $49.53 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $50.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $52.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $943.55 million, a PE ratio of 15.48 and a beta of 0.34. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $41.97 and a fifty-two week high of $60.24.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The insurance provider reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $73.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.37 million. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 19.49% and a return on equity of 16.50%. Research analysts forecast that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current year.

AMERISAFE Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th were paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.15%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.98%.

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.