AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Short Interest Update

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 256,457 shares, a drop of 31.2% from the February 12th total of 372,998 shares. Currently, 1.4% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 184,460 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.4 days. Based on an average daily volume of 184,460 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.4 days. Currently, 1.4% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on AMSF. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 price target on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AMERISAFE from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Citizens Jmp reduced their price objective on AMERISAFE from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.67.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AMSF. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 142.4% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in AMERISAFE by 159.6% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 714 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 439 shares during the period. Quarry LP grew its holdings 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. acquired a new position in AMERISAFE during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 38.6% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,633 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 455 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

AMERISAFE Stock Down 0.2%

AMSF stock opened at $32.85 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $36.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $39.81. AMERISAFE has a 12 month low of $32.00 and a 12 month high of $53.27. The company has a market capitalization of $617.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.30 and a beta of 0.37.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last released 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). AMERISAFE had a net margin of 14.86% and a return on equity of 15.89%. The business had revenue of $81.59 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.05 million. On average, research analysts expect that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. AMERISAFE’s payout ratio is currently 66.40%.

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.