13,693 Shares in AMERISAFE, Inc. $AMSF Purchased by Ellsworth Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Ellsworth Advisors LLC acquired 13,693 shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. for approximately $720,000, representing about 0.07% of the company.
• AMERISAFE announced a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.4% and a payout ratio of 59.09%.
• The stock received a recent upgrade from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating, while one analyst maintained a buy rating, indicating mixed sentiments in the financial community.

Ellsworth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 13,693 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $720,000. Ellsworth Advisors LLC owned 0.07% of AMERISAFE as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AMSF. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 206,675 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $10,652,000 after acquiring an additional 7,517 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 7.8% during the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 102,843 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $5,301,000 after buying an additional 7,399 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 52.0% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 18,610 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $959,000 after buying an additional 6,366 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 10,842 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $559,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the period. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

AMERISAFE stock traded up $0.57 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $43.96. 33,504 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 102,594. The stock has a market capitalization of $834.86 million, a P/E ratio of 16.65 and a beta of 0.38. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a 12 month low of $42.48 and a 12 month high of $60.24. The business's 50-day moving average is $45.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.95.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The insurance provider reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.02). AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 16.54% and a net margin of 16.46%.The company had revenue of $79.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $77.30 million. On average, equities analysts predict that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 12th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 12th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. AMERISAFE's dividend payout ratio is 59.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on AMSF shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AMERISAFE from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, August 17th. Truist Financial cut their price objective on AMERISAFE from $54.00 to $50.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $57.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at AMERISAFE

In other news, CFO Anastasios Omiridis sold 1,343 shares of AMERISAFE stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.75, for a total transaction of $60,099.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 2,253 shares in the company, valued at $100,821.75. The trade was a 37.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

AMERISAFE Company Profile

AMERISAFE, Inc, an insurance holding company, underwrites workers' compensation insurance in the United States. The company provides benefits to injured employees for temporary or permanent disability, death, and medical and hospital expenses. It sells its products through retail and wholesale brokers and agents; and small and mid-sized employers engaged in hazardous industries, including construction, trucking, logging and lumber, agriculture, manufacturing, telecommunications, and maritime.