AMERISAFE, Inc. $AMSF Shares Acquired by Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc.

Key Points

• Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. significantly increased its stake in AMERISAFE, Inc. by 217.9% during the first quarter, owning 57,034 shares worth approximately $2.99 million.
• AMERISAFE recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, translating to an annualized yield of 3.4% and a payout ratio of 59.09%.
• AMERISAFE's stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy", with a target price of $57.50, after recent performance reviews by several financial analysts.

Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. grew its position in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Free Report) by 217.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 57,034 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 39,095 shares during the quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned about 0.30% of AMERISAFE worth $2,997,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AMSF. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 206,675 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $10,652,000 after acquiring an additional 7,517 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 102,843 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $5,301,000 after acquiring an additional 7,399 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG increased its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 52.0% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 18,610 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $959,000 after purchasing an additional 6,366 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 3.4% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.41% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at AMERISAFE

In other news, CFO Anastasios Omiridis sold 1,343 shares of AMERISAFE stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.75, for a total value of $60,099.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 2,253 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $100,821.75. The trade was a 37.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

AMERISAFE Trading Down 2.5%

AMSF stock traded down $1.12 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $44.27. 102,021 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 70,056. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $45.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $840.69 million, a PE ratio of 16.77 and a beta of 0.38. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a 1-year low of $42.48 and a 1-year high of $60.24.

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

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 12th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. AMERISAFE's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.