Schroder Investment Management Group Acquires 13,018 Shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Schroder Investment Management Group grew its position in shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Free Report) by 4.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 329,532 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 13,018 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group owned approximately 0.39% of AXIS Capital worth $29,108,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in AXIS Capital by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,178,512 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $281,680,000 after buying an additional 53,514 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of AXIS Capital by 7.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,675,417 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $134,110,000 after purchasing an additional 112,536 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC increased its position in shares of AXIS Capital by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 1,650,965 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $146,309,000 after purchasing an additional 25,908 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in AXIS Capital by 3.6% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,267,338 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $100,921,000 after purchasing an additional 43,687 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $88,175,000. Institutional investors own 93.44% of the company's stock.

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AXIS Capital Trading Down 8.4 %

Shares of AXIS Capital stock traded down $8.28 during trading on Friday, reaching $90.68. 1,113,671 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 602,616. The stock's fifty day moving average is $93.96 and its 200 day moving average is $88.61. The firm has a market cap of $7.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 1 year low of $60.45 and a 1 year high of $101.42.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 research analysts expect that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AXS. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target 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. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on 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. StockNews.com cut AXIS Capital from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 28th. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $100.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,139,037 shares of the firm'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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,404,133 shares in the company, valued at $224,786,435.50. This trade represents a 47.08 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About AXIS Capital

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.