Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC Sells 30,849 Shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC reduced its position in shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Free Report) by 2.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,333,577 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 30,849 shares during the period. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC owned 1.59% of AXIS Capital worth $118,182,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter worth approximately $88,175,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $88,147,000. Swedbank AB bought a new stake in AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter worth $31,118,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in AXIS Capital by 7,053.2% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 353,941 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $31,366,000 after purchasing an additional 348,993 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in AXIS Capital by 131.9% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 254,551 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $20,265,000 after purchasing an additional 144,792 shares during the period. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AXIS Capital Price Performance

AXS stock traded down $1.39 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $99.68. 167,888 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 601,076. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $93.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $88.33. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 52-week low of $60.45 and a 52-week high of $101.42. The company has a market capitalization of $8.05 billion, a P/E 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 current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

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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, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.29. AXIS Capital had a net margin of 18.16% and a return on equity of 18.89%. As a group, analysts anticipate that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current year.

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.77%. AXIS Capital's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AXS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JMP Securities reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of AXIS Capital in a report on Monday, January 13th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $93.00 price target on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased 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, StockNews.com upgraded AXIS Capital from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $100.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at AXIS Capital

In related 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 shares were sold at an average price of $93.50, for a total value of $199,999,959.50. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 2,404,133 shares of the company's stock, valued at $224,786,435.50. This trade represents a 47.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

AXIS Capital 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.