Zacks Research Boosts Earnings Estimates for AXIS Capital

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) – Research analysts at Zacks Research boosted their FY2025 EPS estimates for AXIS Capital in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 25th. Zacks Research analyst T. De now forecasts that the insurance provider will post earnings per share of $11.24 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $11.22. The consensus estimate for AXIS Capital’s current full-year earnings is $11.19 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AXIS Capital’s FY2026 earnings at $12.40 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $14.53 EPS.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on AXS. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, January 13th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 target price on the stock. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com raised AXIS Capital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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 research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $100.50.

AXIS Capital Stock Performance

NYSE:AXS opened at $99.72 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $92.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $87.59. AXIS Capital has a fifty-two week low of $60.45 and a fifty-two week high of $100.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.06 billion, a PE ratio of 8.07, a P/E/G ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.91. 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 (NYSE:AXS) last issued 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 return on equity of 18.89% and a net margin of 18.16%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AXIS Capital

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new position in AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter worth about $53,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 73.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter worth approximately $60,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.44% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at AXIS Capital

In related news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,139,037 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.50, for a total value of $199,999,959.50. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,404,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $224,786,435.50. This represents a 47.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. AXIS Capital’s payout ratio is 14.25%.

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.