AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Stock Has Average Target Price of $33.33

Key Points

• Analysts give AMERISAFE an average “Hold” rating, with two buys, two holds and one sell; the average 12-month price target is $33.33.
• The company missed quarterly forecasts, reporting EPS of $0.40 versus $0.48 expected and revenue of $79.81 million versus $84.72 million expected. Shares opened at $20.33, near their one-year low of $19.99.
• AMERISAFE announced a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share, equivalent to $1.64 annually and an indicated yield of 8.1%.

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Hold" from the five research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $33.33.

AMSF has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $40.00 target price on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Monday, October 12th. Citizens Jmp cut their price target on shares of AMERISAFE from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of AMERISAFE from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, October 26th.

AMERISAFE Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $20.33 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $24.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $30.63. The company has a market capitalization of $376.71 million, a PE ratio of 9.46 and a beta of 0.23. AMERISAFE has a 1-year low of $19.99 and a 1-year high of $42.10.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last announced 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 the consensus estimate of $84.72 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AMERISAFE will post 1.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 4th will be issued a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 4th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.1%. AMERISAFE's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.28%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 1,405.0% in the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,709 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 2,529 shares during the last quarter. CenterBook Partners LP purchased a new stake in AMERISAFE during the 3rd quarter valued at $477,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in AMERISAFE during the 3rd quarter valued at $417,000. Isthmus Partners LLC raised its stake in AMERISAFE by 28.1% during the 3rd quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 136,969 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $3,237,000 after buying an additional 30,083 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of AMERISAFE during the 3rd quarter valued at $431,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.41% of the company's stock.

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.