Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) Stock: Insider Henry Smith Sells 4,893 Shares

Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Director Henry Smith sold 4,893 shares of Axis Capital stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.15, for a total value of $519,391.95. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 41,454 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,400,342.10. The trade was a 10.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Axis Capital Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of AXS opened at $105.72 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $99.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $102.05. Axis Capital Holdings Limited has a twelve month low of $93.02 and a twelve month high of $119.99. The stock has a market cap of $7.58 billion, a PE ratio of 8.44, a P/E/G ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The insurance provider reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.85 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $1.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.69 billion. Axis Capital had a net margin of 14.62% and a return on equity of 16.61%. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.25 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Axis Capital Holdings Limited will post 12.38 EPS for the current fiscal 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 paid a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Axis Capital’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.45%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Axis Capital

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Axis Capital by 80.8% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 396 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC bought a new position in Axis Capital in the second quarter valued at $44,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Axis Capital in the first quarter valued at $43,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Axis Capital in the third quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Axis Capital during the first quarter valued at about $68,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Axis Capital from $112.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Mizuho set a $123.00 price objective on Axis Capital in a research report on Monday. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Axis Capital from $131.00 to $126.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Roth Capital set a $115.00 price objective on Axis Capital in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on shares of Axis Capital in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $120.00.

Axis Capital Company Profile

Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE: AXS) is a Bermuda-based specialty insurance and reinsurance company. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company provides coverage and risk-management solutions for businesses, institutions and other insurers facing complex or difficult-to-place risks.

AXIS offers a range of commercial property and casualty insurance products, including professional liability, cyber, marine, aviation, energy, environmental, political risk, credit and surety, and accident and health coverage.