Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $124.00.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Axis Capital from $124.00 to $121.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Axis Capital from $119.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Axis Capital in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Axis Capital from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Axis Capital in a research note on Monday, February 2nd.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Axis Capital

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Activest Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Axis Capital in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Smithfield Trust Co raised its holdings in Axis Capital by 94.0% in the second quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Axis Capital in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. AlphaCore Capital LLC acquired a new position in Axis Capital during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Axis Capital during the second quarter worth approximately $41,000. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Axis Capital Trading Down 3.2%

Shares of AXS opened at $103.07 on Tuesday. Axis Capital has a fifty-two week low of $84.81 and a fifty-two week high of $110.34. The company has a market capitalization of $7.94 billion, a PE ratio of 8.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.63. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $103.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $99.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.67.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The insurance provider reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.28. Axis Capital had a return on equity of 18.90% and a net margin of 15.37%.The business had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.38 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Axis Capital will post 11.19 EPS for the current year.

Axis Capital Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Axis Capital’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.21%.

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.