Leuthold Group LLC Lowers Stake in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Leuthold Group LLC lowered its stake in shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,761 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 118 shares during the period. Leuthold Group LLC’s holdings in AXIS Capital were worth $422,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in AXS. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position 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 buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in AXIS Capital by 28.5% in the 4th 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 period. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $82,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in AXIS Capital by 424.6% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,217 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $97,000 after buying an additional 985 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.44% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,234,636 shares of AXIS Capital stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.50, for a total transaction of $199,999,922.00. Following 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

AXIS Capital Price Performance

Shares of AXS opened at $91.89 on Friday. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a twelve month low of $60.06 and a twelve month high of $94.89. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $89.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $84.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.44, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.95. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 18.16% and a return on equity of 18.89%. Equities analysts forecast that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited 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 paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.92%. AXIS Capital’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on AXS. StockNews.com raised shares of AXIS Capital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. JMP Securities reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AXIS Capital presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $99.88.

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.