AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Lowered to "Strong Sell" Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) from a "sell" to a "strong sell" in a report released Saturday.
• Analyst opinions are mixed—two Buy and two Hold—leaving a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a $44.67 price target.
• AMSF's most recent quarter missed expectations, reporting $0.50 EPS vs. $0.52 expected and $80.09M revenue vs. $90.49M, while the stock trades around $30 (12‑month low $29.45) with a $564M market cap.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report released on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. Citigroup reiterated a "market outperform" rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on AMERISAFE from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Citizens Jmp lowered their target price on AMERISAFE from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded AMERISAFE from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 target price on AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $44.67.

AMERISAFE Stock Down 0.4%

NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $30.18 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $33.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $564.37 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.42 and a beta of 0.24. AMERISAFE has a 12-month low of $29.45 and a 12-month high of $48.54.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.52 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $80.09 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $90.49 million. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 14.27% and a return on equity of 15.34%. Equities research analysts expect that AMERISAFE will post 2.08 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMERISAFE

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AMSF. Fifth Third Bancorp acquired a new stake in AMERISAFE during the first quarter worth approximately $134,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in AMERISAFE by 22.7% during the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 16,741 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $562,000 after buying an additional 3,099 shares in the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC grew its position in AMERISAFE by 9.0% during the first quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 89,345 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,978,000 after buying an additional 7,405 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd grew its position in AMERISAFE by 51.0% during the first quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 53,787 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,793,000 after buying an additional 18,175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC grew its position in AMERISAFE by 25.9% during the first quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 15,386 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $513,000 after buying an additional 3,168 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.41% of the company's stock.

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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