Marshall Wace LLP Invests $395,000 in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF)

Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new position in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 7,670 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $395,000.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Isthmus Partners LLC raised its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 63,926 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $3,295,000 after buying an additional 316 shares during the last quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. grew its stake in AMERISAFE by 8.2% during the fourth quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. now owns 5,350 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $276,000 after acquiring an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its stake in AMERISAFE by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 9,375 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $483,000 after purchasing an additional 410 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its stake in AMERISAFE by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 10,904 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $562,000 after purchasing an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 63.4% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,343 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 521 shares during the last quarter. 97.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

Shares of AMSF opened at $46.64 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $888.49 million, a PE ratio of 14.58 and a beta of 0.41. The company's fifty day moving average is $50.24 and its 200 day moving average is $52.15. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $41.97 and a fifty-two week high of $60.24.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.01. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 19.49% and a return on equity of 16.50%. The firm had revenue of $83.78 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $76.66 million. As a group, research analysts forecast that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current 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 issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.34%. AMERISAFE's payout ratio is presently 62.90%.

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.

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