Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC Takes $3.21 Million Position in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new position in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 36,175 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,206,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter valued at $53,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 24.0% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position 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 worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter valued at $60,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. acquired a new stake in AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter valued at $70,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of AXIS Capital from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 12th. UBS Group raised their price objective on AXIS Capital from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on AXIS Capital from $116.00 to $119.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 11th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on AXIS Capital in a research note on Monday, January 13th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $93.00 target price for the company. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $120.00 to $114.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $106.75.

AXIS Capital Stock Performance

AXS traded up $2.42 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $99.84. 487,552 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 600,486. The stock has a market cap of $7.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.67. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $95.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $90.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 12 month low of $63.71 and a 12 month high of $101.42.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The insurance provider reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.64 by $0.53. The business had revenue of $1.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.83 billion. AXIS Capital had a net margin of 18.16% and a return on equity of 18.89%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.07 EPS. Analysts anticipate that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. AXIS Capital's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.25%.

Insider Transactions at AXIS Capital

In related news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,139,037 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.50, for a total value of $199,999,959.50. Following the sale, the director now owns 2,404,133 shares of the company's stock, valued at $224,786,435.50. This trade represents a 47.08 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

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.