Argent Capital Management LLC Increases Stake in Axos Financial, Inc $AX

Key Points

• Argent Capital Management more than doubled its Axos Financial stake in the first quarter, increasing holdings by 105.3% to 93,929 shares valued at approximately $7.99 million. Institutional investors collectively own 83.79% of the company.
• Axos Financial exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.53 in earnings per share versus the $2.16 consensus estimate and revenue of $379.77 million versus $375.54 million expected.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Buy” rating and average price target of $114.83, while Needham raised its target to $128. However, two company insiders recently sold shares, and Arc integration is expected to add about $1 million in monthly expenses.

Argent Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Axos Financial, Inc (NYSE:AX - Free Report) by 105.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 93,929 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 48,172 shares during the period. Argent Capital Management LLC owned about 0.17% of Axos Financial worth $7,992,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its position in shares of Axos Financial by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 16,547 shares of the company's stock worth $1,426,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its position in Axos Financial by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,495 shares of the company's stock valued at $301,000 after buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey increased its position in Axos Financial by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 14,871 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,281,000 after buying an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its stake in Axos Financial by 43.2% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 441 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec raised its stake in Axos Financial by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 17,663 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,522,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. 83.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on AX. Raymond James Financial upgraded Axos Financial from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $110.00 to $100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. DA Davidson set a $121.00 target price on shares of Axos Financial in a research note on Friday. Benchmark started coverage on shares of Axos Financial in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $115.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Axos Financial from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on shares of Axos Financial from $110.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Axos Financial has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $114.83.

Axos Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AX opened at $101.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.96 and a beta of 1.23. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $93.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $91.86. Axos Financial, Inc has a 12 month low of $74.89 and a 12 month high of $105.20.

Axos Financial (NYSE:AX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $2.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.37. Axos Financial had a net margin of 22.39% and a return on equity of 17.31%. The firm had revenue of $379.77 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $375.54 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.94 EPS. Analysts expect that Axos Financial, Inc will post 9.56 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Axos Financial news, EVP Michael James Watson sold 1,653 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.77, for a total value of $138,471.81. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $384,671.84. This represents a 26.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Roque A. Santi sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.77, for a total value of $43,885.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 7,646 shares in the company, valued at $671,089.42. This trade represents a 6.14% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 4.85% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Axos Financial News

Here are the key news stories impacting Axos Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Fourth-quarter earnings exceeded expectations. Axos reported adjusted EPS of $2.53, above the approximately $2.15–$2.16 consensus range and up from $1.94 a year earlier. Revenue was $379.77 million, also ahead of the $375.54 million estimate. The company reported $124.9 million in net income and a 22.53% net margin. Axos Financial Beats Q4 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their valuation targets. Needham increased its target from $110 to $128 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying substantial potential appreciation from recent trading levels. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its target from $105 to $110 while retaining a “market perform” rating, signaling a more measured but still improved outlook. Needham Raises Axos Financial Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects continued loan growth. Axos forecast low- to mid-teens loan growth while expecting its net interest margin to remain stable, supporting expectations for further revenue and earnings expansion. Axos Forecasts Loan Growth and Stable Net Interest Margin
• Neutral Sentiment: Arc integration creates a near-term cost headwind. The integration is expected to add roughly $1 million in monthly expenses, which could constrain operating leverage even if loan growth remains strong.

Axos Financial Company Profile

Axos Financial, Inc NYSE: AX is a diversified online banking and financial services holding company headquartered in San Diego, California. The firm traces its origins to 1999 with the launch of Bank of Internet USA and rebranded as Axos Financial in December 2018 to reflect an expanded suite of digital offerings. Axos Financial operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Axos Bank, providing a technology-driven banking platform that serves both retail and commercial clients across the United States.

Through its digital banking platform, Axos Financial delivers a range of deposit products, including checking and savings accounts, money market and certificate of deposit accounts, as well as individual retirement accounts.

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