Wall Street Zen Upgrades AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) to Hold

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded AMERISAFE from “sell” to “hold,” aligning with the broader consensus rating of “Hold.” Analysts’ average price target is $33.33, above the stock’s recent $20.91 price.
• AMERISAFE shares have fallen 9.4% and are near their one-year low after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.40 and revenue of $79.81 million, both below analyst expectations.
• Institutional investors own 97.41% of the company, while AMERISAFE continues to offer a $0.41 quarterly dividend, equivalent to an approximately 7.1% annualized yield.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Citizens Jmp dropped their price target on shares of AMERISAFE from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley set a $40.00 target price on AMERISAFE in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Zacks Research raised shares of AMERISAFE from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Monday. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AMERISAFE currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $33.33.

AMERISAFE Trading Down 9.4%

AMSF opened at $20.91 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average is $24.90 and its 200-day moving average is $30.98. AMERISAFE has a 1-year low of $20.87 and a 1-year high of $42.10. The company has a market cap of $387.67 million, a P/E ratio of 12.48 and a beta of 0.24.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The insurance provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.08). AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 14.15% and a net margin of 12.10%. The firm had revenue of $79.81 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $84.72 million. On average, equities analysts forecast that AMERISAFE will post 1.95 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AMERISAFE

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AMERISAFE in the second quarter worth $122,167,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of AMERISAFE in the 2nd quarter valued at $18,755,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of AMERISAFE in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,583,000. Palisade Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of AMERISAFE in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,145,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in AMERISAFE by 125.0% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 138,584 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,619,000 after acquiring an additional 76,989 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.41% of the company's stock.

AMERISAFE News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AMERISAFE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AMERISAFE declared a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share, or $1.64 annualized, representing an approximately 7.1% yield. The dividend is payable December 11 to shareholders of record December 4. AMERISAFE dividend and earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects workers’ compensation loss costs to decline by roughly 5% to 6% into 2027, which could support underwriting profitability if pricing and claims trends stabilize. AMERISAFE loss cost outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Citizens lowered its price target from $40 to $35 but maintained a “market outperform” rating, while Truist cut its target from $27 to $25 and retained a “hold” rating. Both targets remain above the current trading level, but the reductions signal lower near-term earnings expectations. AMERISAFE Citizens price target
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted earnings were $0.40 per share, below estimates near $0.47-$0.49 and down from $0.55 a year earlier. Revenue of approximately $76.7 million to $79.8 million also missed expectations of roughly $84.7-$85.9 million. AMERISAFE third-quarter earnings miss
• Negative Sentiment: The quarter marked a fifth consecutive earnings decline, while eroding margins, higher commission costs and falling new-business volumes raised concerns about operating leverage and competitive pricing. AMERISAFE Q3 earnings and margin report

AMERISAFE Company Profile

AMERISAFE, Inc is a specialty workers' compensation insurance company serving small and midsized businesses. The company focuses on employers in industries with elevated workplace risks, including construction, trucking, logging, agriculture, manufacturing, and maritime operations.

Through its insurance subsidiaries, AMERISAFE provides workers' compensation coverage designed to protect businesses from costs associated with workplace injuries and occupational illnesses. Its services also include workplace safety and loss-control support, claims management, medical cost containment, and premium audit services.

Headquartered in DeRidder, Louisiana, AMERISAFE primarily serves employers in the southeastern and south-central United States.

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.