Vanguard Group Inc. Has $75.86 Million Stock Holdings in AMERISAFE, Inc. $AMSF

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in AMERISAFE, Inc. by 3.6%, now owning approximately 7.58% of the company, valued at about $75.86 million.
• AMERISAFE is set to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share on September 26th, representing a 3.3% yield with a payout ratio of 59.09%.
• Despite a slight earnings miss of $0.53 per share for the last quarter, AMERISAFE's revenue exceeded estimates at $79.70 million, and analysts forecast an annual EPS of $2.45.

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Free Report) by 3.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,443,585 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 49,778 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 7.58% of AMERISAFE worth $75,860,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE during the 1st quarter valued at $509,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 12.5% during the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 15,524 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $818,000 after acquiring an additional 1,731 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 52.0% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 92.1% during the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 161,815 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $8,340,000 after acquiring an additional 77,582 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 7.8% during 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.41% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at AMERISAFE

In other AMERISAFE news, CFO Anastasios Omiridis sold 1,343 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.75, for a total transaction of $60,099.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 2,253 shares in the company, valued at $100,821.75. This trade represents a 37.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.61% of the company's stock.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AMSF traded up $0.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $46.18. The company had a trading volume of 53,442 shares, compared to its average volume of 84,751. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a twelve month low of $42.48 and a twelve month high of $60.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $876.96 million, a PE ratio of 17.49 and a beta of 0.39. The stock's 50 day moving average is $44.81 and its 200-day moving average is $47.36.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $79.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $77.30 million. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 16.54% and a net margin of 16.46%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.45 EPS for the current year.

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, September 12th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 12th. AMERISAFE's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AMSF. 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. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AMERISAFE from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, August 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock 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.