AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Analyst Says

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS - Free Report) had its price objective lifted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $108.00 to $110.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the insurance provider's stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on AXS. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on AXIS Capital from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of AXIS Capital from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $78.00 to $89.00 in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. 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. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on AXIS Capital from $81.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AXIS Capital has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $100.71.

AXIS Capital Stock Down 2.6 %

NYSE AXS traded down $2.32 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $85.59. 642,706 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 576,734. AXIS Capital has a 1-year low of $53.88 and a 1-year high of $94.89. 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 company has a market cap of $7.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.87, a P/E/G ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $88.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $80.41.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.55 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $1.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.57 billion. AXIS Capital had a net margin of 10.82% and a return on equity of 19.24%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.34 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AXIS Capital will post 10.83 EPS for the current year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.06%. AXIS Capital's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.41%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of AXIS Capital by 32.6% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 602 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in AXIS Capital by 24.0% in 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 in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in AXIS Capital by 424.6% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,217 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 985 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in AXIS Capital during the third quarter valued at about $99,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.44% of the company's stock.

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.