Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Stock Has Consensus Target Price of $120.00 According to Analysts

Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $120.00.

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Axis Capital from $112.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. Roth Capital set a $115.00 price target on shares of Axis Capital in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Capital One Financial set a $108.00 price target on shares of Axis Capital in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Axis Capital from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Mizuho set a $123.00 target price on shares of Axis Capital in a research note on Monday, November 2nd.

Axis Capital Price Performance

Shares of AXS stock traded up $0.34 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $108.58. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 446,558 shares, compared to its average volume of 740,736. Axis Capital has a fifty-two week low of $93.02 and a fifty-two week high of $119.99. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $100.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $102.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market capitalization of $7.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.29, a PEG ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.39.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.85 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $1.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.69 billion. Axis Capital had a return on equity of 16.61% and a net margin of 14.62%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.25 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Axis Capital will post 12.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Axis Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th were given a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Axis Capital’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.45%.

Insider Activity at Axis Capital

In related news, Director Henry Smith sold 4,893 shares of Axis Capital stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.15, for a total transaction of $519,391.95. Following the sale, the director directly owned 41,454 shares in the company, valued at $4,400,342.10. This trade represents a 10.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Axis Capital

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its position in shares of Axis Capital by 56.7% during the 3rd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 100,300 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $9,448,000 after purchasing an additional 36,300 shares in the last quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System boosted its stake in Axis Capital by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 67,237 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $6,334,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Axis Capital during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,204,000. Polymer Capital Management US LLC bought a new stake in Axis Capital during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $256,000. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC increased its holdings in Axis Capital by 74.3% during the 3rd quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 37,900 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,570,000 after purchasing an additional 16,150 shares in the last quarter. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Axis Capital Company Profile

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited is a global specialty insurer and reinsurer headquartered in Bermuda. Founded in 2001, the company serves businesses and other clients through insurance and reinsurance operations. Its insurance offerings include coverage for property and casualty risks, professional liability, cyber, marine, aviation, energy, and accident and health. Its reinsurance business provides protection to other insurers across property, casualty, and specialty lines. AXIS operates in markets around the world, including North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.