AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Shares Sold by Los Angeles Capital Management LLC

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) by 5.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 399,231 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 23,815 shares during the quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC owned 0.48% of AXIS Capital worth $35,380,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Swedbank AB purchased a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,118,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in AXIS Capital by 7,053.2% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 353,941 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $31,366,000 after purchasing an additional 348,993 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in AXIS Capital by 24.4% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 1,625,057 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $129,371,000 after purchasing an additional 318,784 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of AXIS Capital by 131.9% during the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 254,551 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $20,265,000 after buying an additional 144,792 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 48.6% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 371,557 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $30,070,000 after buying an additional 121,437 shares in the last quarter. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AXIS Capital Price Performance

AXS stock opened at $95.00 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.69, a P/E/G ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.95. The business’s 50-day moving average is $89.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $84.89. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 1 year low of $60.06 and a 1 year high of $95.58.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.29. AXIS Capital had a return on equity of 18.89% and a net margin of 18.16%. Analysts anticipate that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. AXIS Capital’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.25%.

Insider Transactions at AXIS Capital

In other news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,234,636 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.50, for a total transaction of $199,999,922.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 4,543,170 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $406,613,715. This trade represents a 32.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. TD Cowen increased 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. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of AXIS Capital from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. StockNews.com lowered shares of AXIS Capital from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $99.88.

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.