BNP Paribas Financial Markets Buys 381 Shares of AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) by 6.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,882 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 381 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets’ holdings in AMERISAFE were worth $284,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Quarry LP boosted its position in AMERISAFE by 1,028.4% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 756 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 689 shares in the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC grew its stake in AMERISAFE by 14.4% during the second quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 76,870 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 9,672 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of AMERISAFE by 97.1% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 822 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of AMERISAFE during the second quarter worth approximately $100,000. 97.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AMERISAFE Stock Performance

Shares of AMSF stock opened at $53.70 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $55.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $49.51. AMERISAFE, Inc. has a 52-week low of $41.97 and a 52-week high of $60.24. The stock has a market cap of $1.02 billion, a PE ratio of 16.78 and a beta of 0.33.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The insurance provider reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $78.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $75.38 million. AMERISAFE had a return on equity of 16.50% and a net margin of 19.49%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.61 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AMERISAFE, Inc. will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AMERISAFE Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 6th were paid a $3.37 dividend. This represents a $13.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 25.10%. This is a boost from AMERISAFE’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 6th. AMERISAFE’s payout ratio is presently 46.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $65.00 price target on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on AMERISAFE from $48.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th.

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.