AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Stock Has Average Target Price of $44.00

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the five ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $35.67.

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of AMERISAFE from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Citizens Jmp reduced their target price on AMERISAFE from $42.00 to $40.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 12th. Weiss Ratings lowered AMERISAFE from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Morgan Stanley set a $40.00 price target on AMERISAFE in a report on Monday. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price objective on AMERISAFE from $32.00 to $27.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday.

Institutional Trading of AMERISAFE

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in AMERISAFE by 5,714.3% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 814 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP bought a new position in AMERISAFE during the 2nd quarter worth $38,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in AMERISAFE during the 2nd quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in AMERISAFE during the 2nd quarter worth $50,000. 97.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AMERISAFE Stock Up 0.8%

NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $25.25 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $468.13 million, a PE ratio of 12.52 and a beta of 0.24. AMERISAFE has a 12-month low of $23.20 and a 12-month high of $42.21. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $25.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $29.61.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.52 by ($0.08). AMERISAFE had a net margin of 14.00% and a return on equity of 14.87%. The company had revenue of $91.97 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $85.09 million. On average, research analysts expect that AMERISAFE will post 1.95 EPS for the current year.

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th were given a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 11th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.13%.

AMERISAFE Company Profile

AMERISAFE, Inc (NASDAQ: AMSF) is a specialty workers’ compensation insurance company serving small and midsize employers in industries with elevated workplace risks. The company provides coverage designed to help businesses manage the costs associated with work-related injuries and occupational illnesses.

Its primary markets include construction, trucking, logging, agriculture, maritime operations, oil and gas, and other hazardous industries. In addition to insurance coverage, AMERISAFE emphasizes workplace safety, risk management, claims handling and return-to-work support to help policyholders reduce accidents and manage employee injuries.

Headquartered in DeRidder, Louisiana, AMERISAFE has historically focused on selected U.S.