AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Reaches New 52-Week Low – What’s Next?

Shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $28.75 and last traded at $28.5120, with a volume of 9109 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.12.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research downgraded AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded AMERISAFE from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Citizens Jmp dropped their price target on AMERISAFE from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Truist Financial cut their price target on AMERISAFE from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered AMERISAFE from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AMERISAFE has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $44.00.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $32.07 and its 200 day moving average is $33.27. The company has a market capitalization of $531.26 million, a PE ratio of 11.54 and a beta of 0.24.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.08). AMERISAFE had a net margin of 14.00% and a return on equity of 14.87%. The business had revenue of $91.97 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $85.09 million. On average, equities research analysts forecast that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 1.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. AMERISAFE’s payout ratio is 66.13%.

Institutional Trading of AMERISAFE

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AMSF. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its stake in AMERISAFE by 142.4% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 439 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 5,714.3% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 814 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 800 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 346.9% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 943 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.