AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

AMERISAFE, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 132,800 shares, a decline of 37.5% from the February 13th total of 212,500 shares. Currently, 0.7% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 92,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.4 days.

AMERISAFE Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of AMSF traded down $0.14 on Tuesday, reaching $51.42. 87,553 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 106,789. The stock has a market capitalization of $979.55 million, a P/E ratio of 16.07 and a beta of 0.33. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $50.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $51.89. AMERISAFE has a 12 month low of $41.97 and a 12 month high of $60.24.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The insurance provider reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $73.51 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $77.37 million. AMERISAFE had a net margin of 19.49% and a return on equity of 16.50%. Equities research analysts predict that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 EPS for the current year.

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AMERISAFE Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. AMERISAFE's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.98%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AMERISAFE

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new stake in AMERISAFE in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $412,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in AMERISAFE by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 39,683 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $2,045,000 after purchasing an additional 2,759 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP bought a new stake in AMERISAFE in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $283,000. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its stake in AMERISAFE by 10.7% in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 38,491 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,984,000 after purchasing an additional 3,729 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in AMERISAFE in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $489,000. 97.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About AMERISAFE

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.