Axis Capital Q1 EPS Forecast Increased by Zacks Research

Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) – Analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Axis Capital in a research report issued on Tuesday, February 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the insurance provider will post earnings per share of $3.07 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $3.06. The consensus estimate for Axis Capital’s current full-year earnings is $11.19 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Axis Capital’s Q2 2026 earnings at $3.13 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $3.30 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $3.43 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $12.94 EPS and Q2 2027 earnings at $3.43 EPS.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The insurance provider reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. Axis Capital had a return on equity of 18.90% and a net margin of 15.37%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 17.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.38 EPS.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on AXS. 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 on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on Axis Capital from $121.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Compass Point set a $121.00 price target on Axis Capital in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $122.00 price objective on shares of Axis Capital in a report on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $124.00.

Axis Capital Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of Axis Capital stock opened at $104.96 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.67. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $104.40 and a 200-day moving average of $99.67. Axis Capital has a 52-week low of $84.81 and a 52-week high of $110.34. The stock has a market cap of $8.09 billion, a PE ratio of 8.47, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.63.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Axis Capital

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of AXS. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Axis Capital by 43.4% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 86,024 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $9,212,000 after purchasing an additional 26,018 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake in shares of Axis Capital by 82.5% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 40,330 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $4,319,000 after buying an additional 18,234 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Axis Capital by 36.1% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 4,740 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $508,000 after acquiring an additional 1,257 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in shares of Axis Capital in the fourth quarter worth approximately $171,000. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Axis Capital by 211.5% in the fourth quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 274,619 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,409,000 after acquiring an additional 186,460 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.44% of the company’s stock.

Axis Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Axis Capital’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.21%.

Axis Capital News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Axis Capital this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised FY2026 guidance to $12.94 (from $12.85) and nudged up several 2026 quarterly estimates — modestly higher earnings visibility for the year supports a more constructive outlook. MarketBeat AXS
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks increased 2027 mid‑year/late‑year estimates: Q2 2027 to $3.43 (from $3.39), Q3 2027 to $3.61 (from $3.55) and Q4 2027 to $3.41 (from $3.35) — indicating stronger expected earnings later in the year. MarketBeat AXS
• Positive Sentiment: These upward revisions follow Axis’s Jan. 28 quarterly beat (EPS $3.25 vs. est. $2.97; revenue well above estimates), reinforcing analyst confidence in the company’s underwriting or investment performance. MarketBeat AXS
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut Q1 2027 EPS to $3.35 from $3.49 — a notable near‑term downgrade that could pressure the stock if the company signals softness or seasonality for the next quarter. MarketBeat AXS

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.