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

Shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $100.25.

AXS has been the topic of a number of research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $115.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. StockNews.com raised AXIS Capital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, January 13th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 price target for the company.

AXIS Capital Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:AXS opened at $99.51 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $92.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $87.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of $8.04 billion, a PE ratio of 8.06, a PEG ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.91. AXIS Capital has a 52 week low of $60.45 and a 52 week high of $100.78.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. Analysts forecast that AXIS Capital will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.77%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. AXIS Capital’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.25%.

Insider Transactions at AXIS Capital

In other news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,139,037 shares of AXIS Capital stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.50, for a total transaction of $199,999,959.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,404,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $224,786,435.50. The trade was a 47.08 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AXIS Capital

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter worth approximately $53,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in AXIS Capital by 24.0% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in AXIS Capital by 73.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter worth $60,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.