Amerisafe (NASDAQ:AMSF) was downgraded by investment analysts at BidaskClub from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report released on Tuesday, BidAskClub reports.
A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. ValuEngine downgraded Amerisafe from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Boenning Scattergood reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Amerisafe in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $77.67.
NASDAQ AMSF opened at $56.80 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $1.10 billion, a PE ratio of 12.16 and a beta of 0.34. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $64.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.60. Amerisafe has a 1-year low of $48.02 and a 1-year high of $80.65.
Amerisafe (NASDAQ:AMSF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The insurance provider reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks' consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.31. Amerisafe had a return on equity of 20.07% and a net margin of 25.63%. The firm had revenue of $83.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.34 million. Research analysts forecast that Amerisafe will post 3.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.
In other Amerisafe news, CFO Neal Andrew Fuller sold 3,348 shares of Amerisafe stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.32, for a total transaction of $205,299.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 17,177 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,053,293.64. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its stake in shares of Amerisafe by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 74,081 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,776,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its stake in shares of Amerisafe by 22.8% during the first quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 1,502 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $97,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its stake in shares of Amerisafe by 0.7% during the first quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 50,117 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $3,231,000 after acquiring an additional 329 shares in the last quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P lifted its position in shares of Amerisafe by 0.4% during the first quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 96,307 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $6,210,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American International Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Amerisafe by 3.0% during the second quarter. American International Group Inc. now owns 13,564 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $830,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. 98.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
About Amerisafe
AMERISAFE, Inc, an insurance holding company, underwrites workers' compensation insurance in the United States. Its workers' compensation insurance policies provide benefits to injured employees for temporary or permanent disability, death, and medical and hospital expenses. The company provides workers' compensation insurance for small to mid-sized employers engaged in hazardous industries, principally construction, trucking, logging and lumber, manufacturing, agriculture, maritime, and oil and gas.
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