Analysts Set AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Target Price at $100.25

Shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nine research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $100.25.

Several research analysts have commented on AXS shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective 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. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, January 13th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com upgraded AXIS Capital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, JMP Securities restated a “market perform” rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a research note on Monday, February 3rd.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,139,037 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the director now directly owns 2,404,133 shares in the company, valued at $224,786,435.50. This represents a 47.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AXS. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the third quarter worth about $40,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in 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 period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in AXIS Capital by 73.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter worth approximately $60,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AXIS Capital Stock Up 3.2 %

Shares of NYSE AXS opened at $98.03 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.94, a PEG ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.91. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $92.18 and its 200 day moving average is $87.26. AXIS Capital has a 52 week low of $60.45 and a 52 week high of $98.26. 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 (NYSE:AXS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that AXIS Capital will post 11.19 earnings per share 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. AXIS Capital’s dividend payout ratio is currently 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.