Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC Makes New $230,000 Investment in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 2,597 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $230,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter worth approximately $53,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings 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 worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter worth approximately $60,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter worth approximately $70,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AXIS Capital Stock Performance

Shares of AXS stock opened at $94.87 on Friday. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 12 month low of $60.45 and a 12 month high of $98.11. The stock has a market cap of $7.66 billion, a PE ratio of 7.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $91.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $86.90.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last announced its earnings results 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%. On average, equities analysts expect that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. AXIS Capital’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AXS has been the topic of several recent analyst 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 target price on the stock. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. 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 report on Thursday, March 13th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $100.25.

Insider Transactions at AXIS Capital

In other news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,139,037 shares of AXIS Capital stock in a transaction 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 owns 2,404,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $224,786,435.50. The trade was a 47.08 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.