BlackRock Inc. Buys Shares of 3,611,215 AMERISAFE, Inc. $AMSF

Key Points

• BlackRock acquired 3.61 million AMERISAFE shares worth approximately $122.2 million, giving it a 19.48% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 97.41% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans cautious: AMERISAFE has an average “Hold” rating and a $44 target price, while several firms recently downgraded the stock or lowered their targets.
• AMERISAFE reported quarterly EPS of $0.44, below the $0.52 consensus estimate, despite revenue exceeding expectations. The company also declared a $0.41 quarterly dividend, representing a 6.2% annualized yield.

BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,611,215 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $122,167,000. BlackRock Inc. owned about 19.48% of AMERISAFE at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its position in AMERISAFE by 142.4% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in AMERISAFE by 159.6% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 714 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 439 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of AMERISAFE during the second quarter worth $26,000. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 5,714.3% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 814 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its stake in AMERISAFE by 346.9% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 943 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 732 shares during the last quarter. 97.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AMERISAFE from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Zacks Research cut AMERISAFE from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AMERISAFE from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of AMERISAFE from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $44.00.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMSF opened at $26.25 on Friday. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a one year low of $25.65 and a one year high of $47.86. The firm has a market cap of $486.68 million, a P/E ratio of 10.58 and a beta of 0.24. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $32.13.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The insurance provider reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $91.97 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $85.09 million. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 14.00% and a return on equity of 14.87%. On average, research analysts predict that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 1.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 11th. AMERISAFE's payout ratio is presently 66.13%.

AMERISAFE Profile

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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