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

Key Points

• Short interest dropped 14.9% in March to 282,598 shares (about 1.5% of shares outstanding), leaving a days-to-cover ratio of 1.1.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.51, missing estimates by $0.06 while revenue beat at $81.59M; analysts maintain a consensus "Hold" with an average target of $45.33 and forecast FY EPS of $2.45.
• AMERISAFE paid a $0.41 quarterly dividend (annualized $1.64), implying a 4.9% yield and a 66.4% payout ratio, and roughly 97.4% of the stock is held by institutions.

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 282,598 shares, a drop of 14.9% from the March 15th total of 332,239 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 266,444 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.1 days. Currently, 1.5% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

AMERISAFE Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of AMSF opened at $33.52 on Friday. AMERISAFE has a 52-week low of $32.00 and a 52-week high of $50.07. The company has a market capitalization of $630.01 million, a PE ratio of 13.57 and a beta of 0.31. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $37.93.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The insurance provider reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.57 by ($0.06). AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 15.89% and a net margin of 14.86%.The firm had revenue of $81.59 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $80.05 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.9%. AMERISAFE's dividend payout ratio is currently 66.40%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of AMERISAFE from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of AMERISAFE from $45.00 to $36.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Citizens Jmp lowered their price target on shares of AMERISAFE from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 price target on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Citigroup restated a "market outperform" rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $45.33.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE during the fourth quarter valued at about $4,145,000. Royce & Associates LP lifted its stake in AMERISAFE by 21.3% during the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 555,621 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $24,358,000 after acquiring an additional 97,434 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new position in shares of AMERISAFE in the second quarter valued at approximately $618,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 3.3% in the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 1,794,777 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $78,683,000 after purchasing an additional 56,610 shares during the period. Finally, Granite Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 19.5% in the third quarter. Granite Investment Partners LLC now owns 115,743 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $5,074,000 after purchasing an additional 18,861 shares during the period. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AMERISAFE Company Profile

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.