Barclays PLC Boosts Stake in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Barclays PLC raised its position in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) by 53.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 48,964 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,082 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned 0.06% of AXIS Capital worth $3,898,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in AXIS Capital in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 32.6% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 602 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AXIS Capital by 424.6% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,217 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $97,000 after acquiring an additional 985 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in AXIS Capital during the 3rd quarter worth $99,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in AXIS Capital by 158.0% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,308 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $104,000 after purchasing an additional 801 shares in the last quarter. 93.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AXIS Capital Stock Up 2.8 %

AXS stock opened at $90.03 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.49, a PEG ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $86.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $78.74. 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 twelve month low of $53.49 and a twelve month high of $94.89.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.55 by $0.16. AXIS Capital had a net margin of 10.82% and a return on equity of 19.24%. The company had revenue of $1.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.57 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.34 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited will post 10.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. AXIS Capital’s dividend payout ratio is presently 24.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on AXS shares. Bank of America boosted their price objective on AXIS Capital from $81.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on AXIS Capital from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of AXIS Capital from $94.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of AXIS Capital from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. 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 report on Wednesday, November 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $98.71.

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.