107,906 Shares in AMERISAFE, Inc. $AMSF Bought by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake of 107,906 shares of AMERISAFE (≈$4.145M), representing 0.57% of the company at the end of the quarter.
• AMERISAFE pays a quarterly dividend of $0.41 (annualized $1.64) for a 5.0% yield and has a dividend payout ratio of 66.4%, while 97.41% of the stock is held by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
• The company missed Q earnings (reported $0.51 EPS vs. $0.57 consensus) and analysts have trimmed ratings and targets, leaving a consensus rating of "Hold" with an average target price of $48.67.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 107,906 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,145,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 0.57% of AMERISAFE at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AMSF. Quarry LP raised its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 346.9% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 943 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in AMERISAFE by 38.6% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,633 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 455 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in AMERISAFE by 87.9% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,920 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $84,000 after buying an additional 898 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in AMERISAFE by 116.9% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,713 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 1,462 shares during the last quarter. Finally, iSAM Funds UK Ltd bought a new stake in AMERISAFE in the third quarter worth about $152,000. 97.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $32.73 on Monday. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a 52-week low of $32.00 and a 52-week high of $53.27. The firm has a market cap of $615.32 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.25 and a beta of 0.37. The business's fifty day moving average is $35.85 and its 200 day moving average is $38.88.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $81.59 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.05 million. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 15.89% and a net margin of 14.86%. Equities analysts predict that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were given a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. AMERISAFE's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.40%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. 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 report on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings lowered AMERISAFE from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded AMERISAFE from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 price target on AMERISAFE in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Citizens Jmp cut their price target on AMERISAFE from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $48.67.

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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