AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Stock Price Down 7.6%

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF)’s share price traded down 7.6% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $46.76 and last traded at $47.04. 19,599 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 129,783 shares. The stock had previously closed at $50.92.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on AMSF shares. JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, April 15th. TheStreet raised AMERISAFE from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a report on Monday, March 4th.

AMERISAFE Trading Down 10.0 %

The stock has a market cap of $876.99 million, a P/E ratio of 14.45 and a beta of 0.32. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $50.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $49.59.

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

AMERISAFE Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a $0.37 dividend. This is a boost from AMERISAFE’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.82%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMERISAFE

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Gladius Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of AMERISAFE in the third quarter worth about $34,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in AMERISAFE by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,901 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $182,000 after acquiring an additional 828 shares in the last quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. raised its stake in AMERISAFE by 16.8% during the 4th quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. now owns 4,782 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 689 shares during the period. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in AMERISAFE during the 4th quarter worth approximately $232,000. Finally, Advisor Partners II LLC purchased a new position in AMERISAFE during the third quarter valued at approximately $270,000. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.