AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Receives $106.75 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nine research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $106.75.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on AXS shares. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a report on Monday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of AXIS Capital in a research note on Monday, January 13th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of AXIS Capital from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of AXIS Capital from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $120.00 to $114.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th.

Insider Transactions at AXIS Capital

In related news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,139,037 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were 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 owns 2,404,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $224,786,435.50. The trade was a 47.08 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AXIS Capital

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter worth approximately $88,175,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter worth $88,147,000. FIL Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter valued at $43,893,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new position in AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter valued at $37,775,000. Finally, Swedbank AB purchased a new position in AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter worth about $31,118,000. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AXIS Capital Stock Up 4.4 %

AXS stock opened at $95.99 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.55 billion, a PE ratio of 7.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a fifty day moving average of $94.34 and a 200-day moving average of $89.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. AXIS Capital has a one year low of $60.64 and a one year high of $101.42.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, analysts expect that AXIS Capital will post 11.19 EPS for the current year.

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. 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.