5,898 Shares in AMERISAFE, Inc. $AMSF Acquired by Virtus Advisers LLC

Key Points

• Virtus Advisers LLC has made a new investment of approximately $310,000 in AMERISAFE, Inc., acquiring 5,898 shares during the first quarter.
• AMERISAFE recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.39, representing an annual yield of 3.3%, with the ex-dividend date set for September 12th.
• Following recent analyses, AMERISAFE holds a Moderate Buy average rating with a new price target of $57.50, and analysts expect earnings per share to reach 2.45 for the current year.

Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 5,898 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $310,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 3.6% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,443,585 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $75,860,000 after buying an additional 49,778 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 9.3% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 723,562 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $38,023,000 after buying an additional 61,767 shares in the last quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 13.2% during the first quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 684,558 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $35,974,000 after buying an additional 79,750 shares in the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 29.6% during the first quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 395,756 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $20,797,000 after buying an additional 90,395 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in AMERISAFE by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 206,675 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $10,652,000 after buying an additional 7,517 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.41% of the company's stock.

AMERISAFE Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMSF traded up $0.24 during trading on Friday, reaching $46.18. The stock had a trading volume of 53,442 shares, compared to its average volume of 84,751. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $44.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $47.35. The stock has a market cap of $876.96 million, a P/E ratio of 17.49 and a beta of 0.39. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $42.48 and a fifty-two week high of $60.24.

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

AMERISAFE Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 12th will be given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 12th. AMERISAFE's payout ratio is currently 59.09%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of AMERISAFE from $54.00 to $50.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 28th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AMERISAFE from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, August 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $57.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at AMERISAFE

In other news, CFO Anastasios Omiridis sold 1,343 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.75, for a total value of $60,099.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 2,253 shares of the company's stock, valued at $100,821.75. The trade was a 37.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.61% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.