AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) Rating Lowered to "Hold" at StockNews.com

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Monday.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. 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 research report on Tuesday, January 14th. UBS Group lifted their price target on AXIS Capital from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on AXIS Capital in a report on Monday, January 13th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $93.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen raised their target price on AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $99.88.

AXIS Capital Stock Performance

AXS stock traded up $0.61 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $96.89. The company had a trading volume of 753,314 shares, compared to its average volume of 681,872. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.11 billion, a PE ratio of 7.85, a P/E/G ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.95. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $90.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $85.03. AXIS Capital has a fifty-two week low of $60.06 and a fifty-two week high of $97.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

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AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. Analysts anticipate that AXIS Capital will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AXIS Capital news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,234,636 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.50, for a total transaction of $199,999,922.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 4,543,170 shares in the company, valued at approximately $406,613,715. The trade was a 32.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AXS. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter worth approximately $88,175,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter worth $88,147,000. FIL Ltd purchased a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter valued at $43,893,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new position in AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter valued at $37,775,000. Finally, Swedbank AB acquired a new position in AXIS Capital during the fourth quarter valued at $31,118,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.