AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Hits New 1-Year Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• AMERISAFE shares fell to a new 52-week low of $29.42, trading below both the 50‑day ($32.99) and 200‑day ($36.95) moving averages; the stock has a market cap of about $553.5M and a PE of 12.18.
• The company missed quarterly estimates (EPS $0.50 vs. $0.52 expected; revenue $80.09M vs. $90.49M expected), and analyst sentiment is mixed—MarketBeat shows a consensus Moderate Buy with a $44.67 target despite downgrades and lowered price targets from some firms.
• Amerisafe declared a quarterly dividend of $0.41 (annualized $1.64), implying a 5.5% yield

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $29.42 and last traded at $29.4840, with a volume of 88000 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.73.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AMSF has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised AMERISAFE from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen lowered AMERISAFE from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Saturday. Truist Financial cut their price objective on AMERISAFE from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 target price on AMERISAFE in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AMERISAFE currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $44.67.

AMERISAFE Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $32.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $553.52 million, a PE ratio of 12.18 and a beta of 0.23.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $80.09 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $90.49 million. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 15.34% and a net margin of 14.27%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.08 earnings per share for the current year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 12th. AMERISAFE's payout ratio is presently 67.49%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AMERISAFE

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in AMERISAFE by 2.2% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 17,701 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $776,000 after acquiring an additional 377 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its stake in AMERISAFE by 142.4% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake 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 acquiring an additional 439 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co increased its stake in AMERISAFE by 4.5% during the first quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 10,693 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $356,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in AMERISAFE by 4.3% during the first 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 last quarter. 97.41% of the stock is 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.

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