AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) Price Target Raised to $110.00 at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

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

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

AXIS Capital Stock Down 2.6 %

Shares of AXS opened at $85.59 on Friday. AXIS Capital has a 52-week low of $53.88 and a 52-week high of $94.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $88.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $80.41. The company has a market capitalization of $7.16 billion, a PE ratio of 11.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 0.95.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.55 by $0.16. AXIS Capital had a net margin of 10.82% and a return on equity of 19.24%. The firm had revenue of $1.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.57 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.34 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that AXIS Capital will post 10.83 EPS for the current year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AXIS Capital

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital in the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. lifted 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 last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of AXIS Capital by 24.0% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AXIS Capital by 424.6% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,217 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $97,000 after acquiring an additional 985 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 3rd quarter worth about $99,000. 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.