AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nine research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $99.88.

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on AXS shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on AXIS Capital from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. UBS Group raised their price objective on AXIS Capital from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of AXIS Capital in a research note on Monday, January 13th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th.

Insider Activity at AXIS Capital

In related news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,234,636 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.50, for a total value of $199,999,922.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 4,543,170 shares in the company, valued at approximately $406,613,715. The trade was a 32.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AXIS Capital

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AXS. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new position in AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter worth approximately $610,000. Forum Financial Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter worth $254,000. Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter worth $224,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter worth $244,000. Finally, CSS LLC IL purchased a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter valued at $250,000. Institutional investors own 93.44% of the company’s stock.

AXIS Capital Stock Performance

Shares of AXS stock opened at $94.12 on Tuesday. AXIS Capital has a 12 month low of $60.06 and a 12 month high of $94.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.87 billion, a PE ratio of 7.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $89.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $84.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.29. AXIS Capital had a net margin of 18.16% and a return on equity of 18.89%. Analysts forecast that AXIS Capital will post 11.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.87%. AXIS Capital’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.25%.

About AXIS Capital

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides various specialty insurance and reinsurance products in Bermuda, the United States, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Insurance segment offers professional insurance products that cover directors' and officers' liability, errors and omissions, employment practices, fiduciary, crime, professional indemnity, medical malpractice, and other financial insurance related coverages for commercial enterprises, financial institutions, not-for-profit organizations, and other professional service providers; and property insurance products for commercial buildings, residential premises, construction projects, property in transit, onshore renewable energy installations, and physical damage and business interruption following an act of terrorism.