Foundry Partners LLC Has $4.07 Million Stock Holdings in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF)

Foundry Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) by 16.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 87,065 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,280 shares during the period. Foundry Partners LLC’s holdings in AMERISAFE were worth $4,073,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gladius Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of AMERISAFE during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Values First Advisors Inc. increased its position in AMERISAFE by 16.8% during the fourth quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. now owns 4,782 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $224,000 after buying an additional 689 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co raised its holdings in AMERISAFE by 35.6% during the fourth quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 5,569 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $261,000 after buying an additional 1,463 shares in the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its holdings in AMERISAFE by 24.1% during the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 5,658 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $265,000 after buying an additional 1,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisor Partners II LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE in the third quarter worth about $270,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AMSF traded up $0.53 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $51.41. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 12,521 shares, compared to its average volume of 130,467. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $50.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $49.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $983.99 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.75 and a beta of 0.32. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $45.34 and a fifty-two week high of $57.06.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $73.88 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $75.15 million. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 17.19% and a net margin of 20.24%. As a group, analysts anticipate that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.47 EPS for the current year.

AMERISAFE Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th were given a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.88%. This is a boost from AMERISAFE’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.82%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. TheStreet raised AMERISAFE from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a report on Monday, March 4th. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $65.00 price target on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Monday, April 15th.

AMERISAFE Company Profile

AMERISAFE, Inc, an insurance holding company, underwrites workers' compensation insurance in the United States. The company provides benefits to injured employees for temporary or permanent disability, death, and medical and hospital expenses. It sells its products through retail and wholesale brokers and agents; and small and mid-sized employers engaged in hazardous industries, including construction, trucking, logging and lumber, agriculture, manufacturing, telecommunications, and maritime.