KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Has $799,000 Position in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF)

Key Points

• KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS significantly increased its stake in AMERISAFE, Inc., raising holdings by 334.3% to 15,200 shares, valued at approximately $799,000 as of the end of the first quarter.
• AMERISAFE recently reported a missed earnings estimate for the last quarter with an EPS of $0.53, below the consensus estimate of $0.55, although revenue exceeded estimates.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, which reflects an annualized dividend yield of 3.39%, with the ex-dividend date set for September 12th.

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS raised its position in shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Free Report) by 334.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,200 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 11,700 shares during the quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS owned about 0.08% of AMERISAFE worth $799,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AMSF. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 19.1% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,600 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $84,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in AMERISAFE by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 10,842 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $559,000 after buying an additional 357 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 9,375 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $483,000 after buying an additional 410 shares during the period. Isthmus Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of AMERISAFE by 0.8% in the first quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 64,441 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $3,386,000 after acquiring an additional 515 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its position in AMERISAFE by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 11,692 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $603,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.41% of the company's stock.

AMERISAFE Stock Down 2.5%

AMSF traded down $1.11 during trading on Friday, reaching $43.67. 145,509 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 106,589. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $42.48 and a fifty-two week high of $60.24. The company has a market capitalization of $829.29 million, a P/E ratio of 16.54 and a beta of 0.40. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $44.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $48.10.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The insurance provider reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.02). The firm 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 forecast that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.45 EPS for the current year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, September 12th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 12th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. AMERISAFE's dividend payout ratio is 59.09%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on AMSF shares. JMP Securities restated a "market outperform" rating and set a $65.00 price target on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded AMERISAFE from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price target on AMERISAFE from $54.00 to $50.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday.

AMERISAFE 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.