AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Price Target Lowered to $55.00 at Citizens Jmp

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) had its price target trimmed by Citizens Jmp from $60.00 to $55.00 in a research report report published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a market outperform rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on AMSF. JMP Securities decreased their price objective on shares of AMERISAFE from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AMERISAFE presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $55.00.

AMERISAFE Stock Down 0.8%

NASDAQ AMSF opened at $38.12 on Friday. AMERISAFE has a fifty-two week low of $36.33 and a fifty-two week high of $53.27. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $39.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $42.18. The stock has a market cap of $721.23 million, a PE ratio of 14.61 and a beta of 0.36.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The insurance provider reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55. The business had revenue of $71.29 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $78.29 million. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 16.12% and a return on equity of 16.94%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Anastasios Omiridis sold 1,247 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.21, for a total transaction of $50,141.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 2,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,093.19. This represents a 32.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.61% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Creative Planning boosted its position in AMERISAFE by 96.9% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 39,673 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,735,000 after acquiring an additional 19,527 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 11.6% during the second quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 17,324 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $758,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in AMERISAFE in the first quarter worth about $646,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 7,420 shares during the period. Finally, State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D grew its position in AMERISAFE by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 40,618 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,776,000 after buying an additional 1,905 shares in the last quarter. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.