AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) Given “Market Perform” Rating at JMP Securities

JMP Securities reissued their market perform rating on shares of AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) in a research note released on Monday,Benzinga reports.

AXS has been the subject of a number of other research reports. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of AXIS Capital in a report on Monday, January 13th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com lowered shares of AXIS Capital from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Bank of America increased their price objective on AXIS Capital from $81.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on AXIS Capital from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $99.25.

AXIS Capital Stock Performance

Shares of AXIS Capital stock opened at $90.12 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $90.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $82.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.30, a P/E/G ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.95. AXIS Capital has a fifty-two week low of $56.93 and a fifty-two week high of $94.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.29. AXIS Capital had a return on equity of 18.89% and a net margin of 18.16%. On average, equities analysts forecast that AXIS Capital will post 11.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.95%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. AXIS Capital’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.25%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,234,636 shares of the firm’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 completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 4,543,170 shares in the company, valued at $406,613,715. This trade represents a 32.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. raised its holdings in AXIS Capital by 32.6% during the second quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 602 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 24.0% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of AXIS Capital by 28.5% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 833 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter worth about $82,000. Institutional investors own 93.44% of the company’s stock.

AXIS Capital Company Profile

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.