Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC trimmed its holdings in Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Free Report) by 15.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,475 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 3,500 shares during the quarter. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC's holdings in Axis Capital were worth $1,852,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AXS. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Axis Capital in the first quarter worth $33,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Axis Capital during the fourth quarter valued at $53,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Axis Capital by 73.8% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Axis Capital in the 4th quarter worth about $60,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. purchased a new position in Axis Capital in the 4th quarter worth about $70,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Axis Capital Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:AXS traded up $1.08 on Monday, reaching $103.85. The company had a trading volume of 353,173 shares, compared to its average volume of 616,610. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.17 billion, a PE ratio of 10.30, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Axis Capital Holdings Limited has a 52-week low of $68.49 and a 52-week high of $107.19. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $100.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $95.18.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The insurance provider reported $3.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.64 by $0.53. The company had revenue of $1.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.83 billion. Axis Capital had a return on equity of 19.01% and a net margin of 14.54%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.07 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Axis Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 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 Thursday, July 17th. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.69%. Axis Capital's payout ratio is 17.46%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on AXS shares. JMP Securities reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Axis Capital in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Axis Capital in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Axis Capital from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Axis Capital from $114.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Axis Capital from $116.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $107.75.

Axis Capital 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.