Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Receives $107.75 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $107.75.

AXS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Axis Capital from $116.00 to $119.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on Axis Capital from $114.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Axis Capital from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Axis Capital in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Axis Capital from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 12th.

Axis Capital Trading Up 1.1%

AXS traded up $1.08 on Monday, hitting $103.85. 551,007 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 706,581. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 0.68. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $100.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $95.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.17 billion, a PE ratio of 10.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.83. Axis Capital has a 12 month low of $68.49 and a 12 month high of $107.19.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The insurance provider reported $3.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.64 by $0.53. Axis Capital had a net margin of 14.54% and a return on equity of 19.01%. The firm had revenue of $1.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.83 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.07 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Axis Capital will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Axis Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. Axis Capital's dividend payout ratio is currently 17.46%.

Institutional Trading of Axis Capital

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Swedbank AB increased its stake in shares of Axis Capital by 113.0% during the first quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 747,903 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $74,970,000 after purchasing an additional 396,764 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Axis Capital in the 1st quarter worth about $16,880,000. Focus Partners Wealth grew its position in Axis Capital by 42.1% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 10,417 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,044,000 after purchasing an additional 3,085 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in Axis Capital by 86.2% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 47,277 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $4,739,000 after purchasing an additional 21,892 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in Axis Capital by 7.1% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 305,752 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $30,649,000 after buying an additional 20,159 shares during the last quarter. 93.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.