AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Hits New 52-Week Low at $44.61

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $44.61 and last traded at $45.29, with a volume of 12027 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $44.98.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com downgraded AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Monday, April 15th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of AMERISAFE from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th.

AMERISAFE Trading Up 2.3 %

The firm has a market cap of $893.07 million, a P/E ratio of 14.54 and a beta of 0.32. The company’s 50-day moving average is $49.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $49.40.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The insurance provider reported $0.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.03. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 19.97% and a return on equity of 16.76%. The business had revenue of $80.49 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $75.22 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.83 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 21st. Investors of record on Friday, June 14th will be given a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 14th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.17%. AMERISAFE’s payout ratio is 46.11%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMERISAFE

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AMSF. Raymond James & Associates lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 46,287 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,318,000 after buying an additional 431 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 28.4% during the 3rd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 6,320 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $316,000 after buying an additional 1,396 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 13,900 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $695,000 after buying an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Partners II LLC bought a new position in shares of AMERISAFE during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $270,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 6,178 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $309,000 after buying an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

About AMERISAFE

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.