Short Interest in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Increases By 62.0%

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 372,998 shares, a growth of 62.0% from the January 29th total of 230,287 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 168,282 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.2 days. Approximately 2.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 2.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 168,282 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.2 days.

AMERISAFE Stock Down 3.3%

AMSF stock opened at $32.53 on Friday. AMERISAFE has a 52 week low of $32.00 and a 52 week high of $53.27. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $37.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $40.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $615.47 million, a P/E ratio of 13.17 and a beta of 0.35.

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

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.16%.

Key Headlines Impacting AMERISAFE

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.

Institutional Trading of AMERISAFE

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AMSF. Neuberger Berman Group LLC lifted its stake in AMERISAFE by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 1,800,952 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $69,175,000 after purchasing an additional 6,175 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 843,539 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $32,400,000 after purchasing an additional 41,496 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in AMERISAFE by 55.4% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 696,095 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,737,000 after buying an additional 248,105 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in AMERISAFE by 8.4% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 658,682 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $28,877,000 after buying an additional 50,765 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royce & Associates LP boosted its stake in AMERISAFE by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 611,371 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $23,483,000 after buying an additional 55,750 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on AMSF shares. 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. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 target price on AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen lowered AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. Citizens Jmp decreased their price target on AMERISAFE from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $48.67.

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.