AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) Lowered to Sell Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday morning.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of AMERISAFE from $45.00 to $36.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 target price on AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Citizens Jmp decreased their price target on AMERISAFE from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of AMERISAFE in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $48.67.

AMERISAFE Trading Down 3.3%

Shares of AMERISAFE stock opened at $32.53 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $615.47 million, a P/E ratio of 13.17 and a beta of 0.35. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of $40.70. AMERISAFE has a 12-month low of $32.00 and a 12-month high of $53.27.

AMERISAFE (NASDAQ:AMSF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The insurance provider reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.06). AMERISAFE had a net margin of 14.86% and a return on equity of 15.66%. The company had revenue of $81.59 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.05 million. On average, analysts predict that AMERISAFE will post 2.45 EPS for the current year.

AMERISAFE Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. AMERISAFE’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.16%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AMERISAFE

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 142.4% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in AMERISAFE by 159.6% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 714 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 439 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its stake in AMERISAFE by 346.9% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 943 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in AMERISAFE during the 4th quarter valued at $54,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of AMERISAFE by 38.6% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,633 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 455 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.41% of the company’s stock.

AMERISAFE News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AMERISAFE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly dividend ~5.1% (annualized yield ~4.9%), which supports income-focused investors and signals capital-return confidence. AMERISAFE Increases Dividend by 5.1%
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and written premiums showed year-over-year growth in Q4 and management highlighted solid ROE on the earnings call — positives for longer-term underwriting trends. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings call and multiple transcripts are available; they provide detail but contain mixed signals (premium growth vs. expense pressure). Useful for investors doing deeper due diligence. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed consensus ($0.51 vs. ~$0.57); expenses rose, compressing margins despite higher premiums and investment income — the primary near-term driver of the share decline. AMSF Misses on Q4 Earnings Despite Rising Premiums, Hikes Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: Truist cut its price target from $45 to $36 and set a “hold” rating; an analyst downgrade/target cut increases selling pressure and may anchor near-term sentiment. Truist Lowers Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose materially in February (reports show ~372,998 shares at one point, ~2% of float) and there have been recent insider sales; both can amplify downward moves and volatility. Quiver Quant Coverage (contains short/insider data)
• Negative Sentiment: Technically the stock is trading below its 50- and 200-day moving averages, which typically weighs on sentiment and can trigger additional selling from trend-following funds.

About AMERISAFE

Amerisafe, Inc (NASDAQ: AMSF) is a specialty provider of workers’ compensation insurance products and services in the United States. The company focuses on underwriting and managing workers’ compensation policies for small to mid-sized public and private businesses, particularly in higher-hazard industries such as retail, manufacturing, distribution and wholesale. Through its network of independent agents, Amerisafe delivers tailored coverage solutions that combine robust risk management support with loss prevention programs designed to enhance workplace safety.

In addition to core insurance offerings, Amerisafe provides extensive risk control resources, including safety training, on-site consultations and claims management services.