Advertisement
U.S. markets closed
  • S&P 500

    5,254.35
    +5.86 (+0.11%)
     
  • Dow 30

    39,807.37
    +47.29 (+0.12%)
     
  • Nasdaq

    16,379.46
    -20.06 (-0.12%)
     
  • Russell 2000

    2,124.55
    +10.20 (+0.48%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    83.11
    -0.06 (-0.07%)
     
  • Gold

    2,254.80
    +16.40 (+0.73%)
     
  • Silver

    25.10
    +0.18 (+0.74%)
     
  • EUR/USD

    1.0778
    -0.0015 (-0.14%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.2060
    +0.0100 (+0.24%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2620
    -0.0003 (-0.02%)
     
  • USD/JPY

    151.3940
    +0.0220 (+0.01%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    70,452.13
    +210.76 (+0.30%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    7,952.62
    +20.64 (+0.26%)
     
  • Nikkei 225

    40,369.44
    +201.37 (+0.50%)
     

Amerisafe (AMSF) Earnings Beat Estimates in Q4, Soar Y/Y

Amerisafe, Inc. AMSF reported fourth-quarter 2019 earnings of $1.70 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 123.7%. Also, the bottom line improved 58.9% year over year.

The upside can be attributed to a decline in expenses incurred related to loss and loss adjustment, underwriting and other operating costs, and policyholder dividends.

AMERISAFE, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

 

AMERISAFE, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
AMERISAFE, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

AMERISAFE, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | AMERISAFE, Inc. Quote

Quarter in Detail

Amerisafe’s operating revenues decreased 4.5% from the prior-year quarter to $90.4 million and met the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The downside was due to a decline in net premiums earned and lower net investment income.

Gross premiums written were down 6.1% year over year to $70.7 million primarily due to a consistent reduction in approved loss costs in the company’s states of operation. Underwriting profit of $33.3 million increased 96.3% year over year.

Net investment income declined 0.3% year over year to nearly $8 million due to a marginally smaller investment portfolio.

Total expenses were nearly $49 million, down 31.8% from the year-ago quarter due to lower loss and loss adjustments expenses incurred, underwriting and other operating costs, and expenses related to policyholder dividends.

Net combined ratio of 59.6% improved 2140 basis points year over year.

Dividend Hike

Concurrent with the earnings release, Amerisafe’s board of directors hiked its quarterly dividend by 8% to 27 cents per share, up from the prior dividend payout of 25 cents per share.

The dividend will be paid out on Mar 27, 2020, to shareholders of record as of Mar 13, 2020.

Financial Update (Dec 31, 2019)

Amerisafe exited the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $43.8 million, up 8.6% from the prior year-end level.

Shareholders’ equity was $430.2 million, up 5% year over year.

Operating return on average adjusted equity was 30%, up 1100 points year over year.

For 2019, total revenues were $370.4 million, down 2% from 2018-end level. Earnings of $4.60 per share improved 19.2% from the 2018-end level.

Zacks Rank & Peer Releases

Amerisafe currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Among other players from the insurance industry, having reported fourth-quarter earnings so far, the bottom lines of Arch Capital Group Ltd. ACGL, Brighthouse Financial, Inc. BHF and RLI Corp. RLI beat estimates.

Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation

Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, it’s expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity.

A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks’ just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time.

See 8 breakthrough stocks now>>


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
RLI Corp. (RLI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
AMERISAFE, Inc. (AMSF) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Arch Capital Group Ltd. (ACGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (BHF) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

Advertisement