AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Short Interest Update

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,090,000 shares, a growth of 58.3% from the March 15th total of 1,320,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 777,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.7 days. Approximately 2.8% of the company's stock are sold short.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,234,636 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.50, for a total value of $199,999,922.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,543,170 shares in the company, valued at $406,613,715. The trade was a 32.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in AXIS Capital during the first quarter worth about $33,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter worth approximately $53,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of AXIS Capital by 24.0% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of AXIS Capital by 73.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 285 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $60,000. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AXIS Capital Price Performance

NYSE:AXS traded down $0.48 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $95.35. 185,584 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 600,263. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market cap of $7.50 billion, a PE ratio of 7.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.67. AXIS Capital has a twelve month low of $60.64 and a twelve month high of $101.42. The stock's 50-day moving average is $94.34 and its 200-day moving average is $89.78.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.29. AXIS Capital had a net margin of 18.16% and a return on equity of 18.89%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AXIS Capital will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.85%. AXIS Capital's dividend payout ratio is presently 14.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on AXIS Capital in a research note on Monday, January 13th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $93.00 price target for the company. JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $120.00 to $114.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on AXIS Capital from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, StockNews.com raised AXIS Capital from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, AXIS Capital has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $106.75.

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.