AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Director Charles A. Davis Sells 2,139,037 Shares

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,139,037 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.50, for a total value 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 $224,786,435.50. The trade was a 47.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

AXIS Capital Stock Down 0.5 %

NYSE AXS opened at $94.75 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $90.63 and its 200 day moving average is $85.66. 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 Holdings Limited has a 12 month low of $60.06 and a 12 month high of $98.11. The stock has a market cap of $7.65 billion, a PE ratio of 7.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.95.

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

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 1.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. AXIS Capital’s payout ratio is 14.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AXS has been the topic of several research reports. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, January 13th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 target price on the stock. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on AXIS Capital from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, StockNews.com raised AXIS Capital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $99.88.

Institutional Trading of AXIS Capital

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in AXIS Capital in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of AXIS Capital by 24.0% during 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 last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AXIS Capital by 73.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $60,000. 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.