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

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 274,038 shares, an increase of 59.2% from the December 15th total of 172,088 shares. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 150,789 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 150,789 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of AMERISAFE from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. JMP Securities cut their price objective on shares of AMERISAFE from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AMERISAFE currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $55.00.

AMERISAFE Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $38.43 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $39.25 and a 200 day moving average of $42.22. The stock has a market cap of $727.10 million, a P/E ratio of 14.72 and a beta of 0.36. AMERISAFE has a 12 month low of $36.33 and a 12 month high of $53.27.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The insurance provider reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.55. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 16.12% and a return on equity of 16.94%. The business had revenue of $71.29 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $78.29 million. On average, equities analysts forecast that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a special dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th were given a $1.00 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 420.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.77%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Anastasios Omiridis sold 1,247 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.21, for a total transaction of $50,141.87. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 2,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $102,093.19. This represents a 32.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.61% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMERISAFE

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Creative Planning increased its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 96.9% in the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 39,673 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,735,000 after purchasing an additional 19,527 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its stake in AMERISAFE by 11.6% in the 2nd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 17,324 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $758,000 after buying an additional 1,800 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in AMERISAFE in the 1st quarter worth approximately $646,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 561,956 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $24,575,000 after buying an additional 7,420 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D raised its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 40,618 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,776,000 after buying an additional 1,905 shares in the last quarter. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.