Axis Capital Holdings Limited $AXS Stock Holdings Lowered by Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC

Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) by 24.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 94,363 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 30,554 shares during the period. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC’s holdings in Axis Capital were worth $9,040,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Axis Capital during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Axis Capital by 94.0% during the second quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Axis Capital in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Axis Capital in the 2nd quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in shares of Axis Capital by 145.1% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 581 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 344 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.44% of the company’s stock.

Axis Capital Trading Up 0.2%

Axis Capital stock opened at $104.01 on Friday. Axis Capital Holdings Limited has a 52 week low of $84.81 and a 52 week high of $110.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.01 billion, a PE ratio of 8.39, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.65. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $103.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $98.82.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The insurance provider reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.28. Axis Capital had a return on equity of 18.90% and a net margin of 15.37%.The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.38 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 17.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Axis Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Axis Capital Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Axis Capital’s dividend payout ratio is 14.21%.

Axis Capital News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Axis Capital this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat analysts on both EPS and revenue — Axis reported operating income of $3.25/share (vs. $2.97 consensus), GAAP net income of $3.67/share, and revenue of $1.73B (up ~17.8% YoY). Strong margins and ROE were highlighted, supporting the stock’s upside following the print. AXIS Capital Reports Fourth Quarter Net Income
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional/market positioning improved as short interest fell ~22% in January, lowering potential short-covering risk and reducing downside pressure from shorts. (Shorts now ~0.8% of float; ~1.0 days to cover.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company provided the earnings presentation and full call transcript, giving investors additional disclosure on underwriting trends, investment results and capital deployment — useful for assessing whether the quarter reflects one-time items or sustainable improvement. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Q4 Results Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets summarize and analyze the quarter (snapshots and metric comparisons), which help translate reported figures into forward expectations but don’t materially change the headline beat. Q4 Earnings Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America cut its price target from $119 to $115 and kept a neutral rating — a modest analyst trim that reduces near-term upside from that shop and signals some caution despite the beat. BofA Lowers Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and coverage noted higher expenses in the quarter; while EPS still beat, rising costs could pressure future earnings if they persist or if growth moderates. Earnings Growth Despite Higher Expenses

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on AXS. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Axis Capital from $118.00 to $124.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Bank of America cut their target price on Axis Capital from $119.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Axis Capital in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Axis Capital from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Axis Capital from $119.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Axis Capital presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $121.70.

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.