AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Short Interest Down 31.2% in February

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 256,457 shares, a decline of 31.2% from the February 12th total of 372,998 shares. Currently, 1.4% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 184,460 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days. Based on an average daily volume of 184,460 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days. Currently, 1.4% of the shares of the company are sold short.

AMERISAFE Trading Down 0.2%

AMERISAFE stock opened at $32.85 on Friday. AMERISAFE has a 52 week low of $32.00 and a 52 week high of $53.27. The stock has a market cap of $617.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.30 and a beta of 0.37. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $36.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $39.85.

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 analyst estimates of $80.05 million. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 15.89% and a net margin of 14.86%. Research analysts expect that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. AMERISAFE’s payout ratio is currently 63.16%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 142.4% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in AMERISAFE by 159.6% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 714 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 439 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP lifted its stake in AMERISAFE by 346.9% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 943 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in AMERISAFE during the fourth quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 38.6% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,633 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 455 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on AMSF. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 price target on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on AMERISAFE from $45.00 to $36.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Citizens Jmp decreased their price objective on AMERISAFE from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen cut AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AMERISAFE currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $48.67.

About AMERISAFE

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.