Squarepoint Ops LLC Makes New $319,000 Investment in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new position in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 3,595 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $319,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter valued at $53,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 73.8% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter worth about $60,000. Assetmark Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter worth about $70,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 28.5% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 833 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.44% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on AXS shares. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of AXIS Capital from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $114.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AXIS Capital from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 12th. JMP Securities reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on AXIS Capital from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $107.75.

AXIS Capital Price Performance

NYSE:AXS opened at $107.07 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $98.18 and its 200 day moving average price is $93.99. The firm has a market cap of $8.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.67, a PEG ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.83. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 52-week low of $68.02 and a 52-week high of $107.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The insurance provider reported $3.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.64 by $0.53. AXIS Capital had a net margin of 18.16% and a return on equity of 18.89%. The business had revenue of $1.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.83 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.07 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. AXIS Capital's dividend payout ratio is currently 17.46%.

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.

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