Villanova Investment Management Co LLC Boosts Stake in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Villanova Investment Management Co LLC increased its holdings in shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Free Report) by 10.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 72,486 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 6,997 shares during the period. AXIS Capital makes up about 5.7% of Villanova Investment Management Co LLC's holdings, making the stock its biggest position. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC owned 0.09% of AXIS Capital worth $6,424,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in AXS. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,178,512 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $281,680,000 after buying an additional 53,514 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in AXIS Capital by 7.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,675,417 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $134,110,000 after acquiring an additional 112,536 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC increased its holdings in shares of AXIS Capital by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 1,650,965 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $146,309,000 after acquiring an additional 25,908 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of AXIS Capital by 3.6% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,267,338 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $100,921,000 after purchasing an additional 43,687 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter worth $88,175,000. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,139,037 shares of AXIS Capital stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,404,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $224,786,435.50. The trade was a 47.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

AXIS Capital Stock Performance

NYSE AXS traded down $8.28 on Friday, hitting $90.68. 1,113,671 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 602,616. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.34, a PEG ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.67. The business's fifty day moving average is $93.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $88.54. 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 Holdings Limited has a 12 month low of $60.45 and a 12 month high of $101.42.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. AXIS Capital's payout ratio is currently 14.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. JMP Securities restated a "market perform" rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com cut shares of AXIS Capital from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 28th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, January 13th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $93.00 price target on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $100.50.

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.