Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Issues Positive Forecast for AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) Stock Price

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) had its target price upped by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $108.00 to $110.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Bank of America lifted their target price on AXIS Capital from $81.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised AXIS Capital from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $78.00 to $89.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $100.71.

AXIS Capital Trading Down 2.6 %

AXIS Capital stock opened at $85.59 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. AXIS Capital has a 1 year low of $53.88 and a 1 year high of $94.89. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $88.65 and its 200-day moving average is $80.57. The company has a market cap of $7.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.87, a PEG ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 0.95.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $1.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.57 billion. AXIS Capital had a return on equity of 19.24% and a net margin of 10.82%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.34 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that AXIS Capital will post 10.83 earnings per share for the current year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.06%. AXIS Capital’s dividend payout ratio is currently 24.41%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AXIS Capital

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the third quarter valued at $40,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. raised its holdings in AXIS Capital by 32.6% during the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 602 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in 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 buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AXIS Capital by 424.6% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,217 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 985 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the third quarter worth approximately $99,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.