AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Announces $0.39 Quarterly Dividend

Key Points

• AMERISAFE, Inc. declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, which will be paid on September 26 to stockholders of record on September 12, resulting in an annualized dividend of $1.56 and a yield of 3.37%.
• The company reported $0.53 earnings per share for the latest quarter, missing analyst expectations of $0.55, but generated revenue of $79.70 million, exceeding estimates of $77.30 million.
• AMERISAFE's stock increased by 6.1% in trading, reaching $46.23, alongside a market capitalization of approximately $880.68 million.

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, July 25th, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 12th will be paid a dividend of 0.39 per share by the insurance provider on Friday, September 26th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 12th.

AMERISAFE has a payout ratio of 70.9% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect AMERISAFE to earn $2.18 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.56 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 71.6%.

AMERISAFE Trading Up 6.1%

Shares of AMERISAFE stock traded up $2.65 during trading on Friday, reaching $46.23. The company's stock had a trading volume of 226,724 shares, compared to its average volume of 104,421. The firm has a market cap of $880.68 million, a PE ratio of 18.64 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $45.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $48.23. AMERISAFE has a fifty-two week low of $42.48 and a fifty-two week high of $60.24.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The insurance provider reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.55 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $79.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.30 million. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 15.76% and a return on equity of 16.41%. On average, analysts predict that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, JMP Securities restated a "market outperform" rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 5.1% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 83,478 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $4,387,000 after acquiring an additional 4,050 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 11,313 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $594,000 after acquiring an additional 471 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 82.6% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 217,280 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $11,418,000 after acquiring an additional 98,293 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 8.7% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 43,118 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,266,000 after buying an additional 3,435 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 106.8% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 29,176 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,533,000 after buying an additional 15,070 shares in the last quarter. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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