AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) Cut to “Hold” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com cut shares of AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Friday.

Several other research firms also recently commented on AXS. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on AXIS Capital from $108.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on AXIS Capital from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of AXIS Capital from $81.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $99.25.

AXIS Capital Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of AXS opened at $90.98 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $90.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $82.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 0.95. AXIS Capital has a 12-month low of $55.56 and a 12-month high of $94.89.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.29. AXIS Capital had a net margin of 18.16% and a return on equity of 18.89%. Equities research analysts expect that AXIS Capital will post 11.45 earnings per share for the current year.

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.93%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. AXIS Capital’s payout ratio is currently 14.25%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AXIS Capital

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the third quarter worth $40,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. grew its stake 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 last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in AXIS Capital by 24.0% during the 4th 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. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in AXIS Capital by 28.5% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 833 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter worth about $82,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.44% 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.