Nuveen Asset Management LLC Increases Position in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF)

Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Free Report) by 92.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 161,815 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 77,582 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC owned 0.85% of AMERISAFE worth $8,340,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AMSF. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in 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 buying an additional 357 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AMERISAFE during the fourth quarter worth $43,000. Deutsche Bank AG grew its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 6,366 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in AMERISAFE by 7.8% in the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 206,675 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $10,652,000 after purchasing an additional 7,517 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.41% of the company's stock.

AMERISAFE Price Performance

Shares of AMERISAFE stock traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $47.51. The company's stock had a trading volume of 83,396 shares, compared to its average volume of 108,636. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $48.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $51.17. The stock has a market cap of $905.07 million, a P/E ratio of 14.85 and a beta of 0.41. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a one year low of $41.97 and a one year high of $60.24.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.01. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 16.50% and a net margin of 19.49%. The company had revenue of $83.78 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $76.66 million. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 20th. Investors of record on Friday, June 13th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.28%. AMERISAFE's dividend payout ratio is presently 62.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of AMERISAFE in a report on Wednesday, April 30th.

About AMERISAFE

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.