Q1 EPS Estimates for Axis Capital Reduced by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research trimmed its Q1 EPS estimate for Axis Capital to $4.00 (from $4.02), while the consensus full‑year EPS remains about $11.19.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed‑but‑positive: one Strong Buy, eight Buys and three Holds give an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target of $122.80, although Bank of America recently cut its target to $106.
• Axis recently beat the January quarter estimates with $3.25 EPS (vs. $2.97) and $1.73B revenue, announced a $0.44 quarterly dividend (annualized $1.76, ~1.7% yield), and about 93% of the stock is institutionally owned.

Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2028 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Axis Capital in a report issued on Thursday, April 16th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will earn $4.00 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $4.02. The consensus estimate for Axis Capital's current full-year earnings is $11.19 per share.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on AXS. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $122.00 price objective on shares of Axis Capital in a report on Friday, January 30th. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Axis Capital from $115.00 to $106.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Axis Capital from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Axis Capital in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on Axis Capital from $141.00 to $140.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $122.80.

Axis Capital Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:AXS opened at $102.04 on Monday. Axis Capital has a 52-week low of $88.07 and a 52-week high of $110.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.24, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.65. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $101.92 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $101.10.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The insurance provider reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. Axis Capital had a return on equity of 18.72% and a net margin of 15.37%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 17.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.38 EPS.

Axis Capital Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Axis Capital's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.21%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Axis Capital

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AXS. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Axis Capital by 12.4% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 63,457 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $6,361,000 after purchasing an additional 7,023 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in Axis Capital by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 205,553 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $20,605,000 after purchasing an additional 12,680 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in Axis Capital by 86.2% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 47,277 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $4,739,000 after purchasing an additional 21,892 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in Axis Capital by 42.1% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 10,417 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,044,000 after purchasing an additional 3,085 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in Axis Capital by 33.6% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,924 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $407,000 after purchasing an additional 987 shares during the period. 93.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Axis Capital News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple quarterly and full‑year EPS forecasts for AXS (small but consistent upward revisions across Q1–Q4 2026–27 and FY2026–FY2027), improving forward earnings visibility and supporting upside estimates. Will Axis Capital (AXS) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks research pieces highlight AXIS’s premium growth and disciplined underwriting — factors that support margin expansion and recurring earnings strength, reinforcing the rationale behind the estimate upgrades. Can AXS Sustain Its Growth on Premium Strength and Underwriting?
• Neutral Sentiment: Axis’s recent January quarter reported an earnings beat and revenue upside (strong premium/revenue growth year‑over‑year), which provides the track record backing current analyst optimism. This is background support rather than new news.
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America trimmed its price target on AXS to $106, which reduces some analyst‑implied upside and could cap near‑term gains if other brokers follow. Bank of America Lowers Axis Capital NYSE: AXS Price Target to $106.00

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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