River Road Asset Management LLC Lowers Stock Holdings in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

River Road Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Free Report) by 3.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,771,870 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 54,125 shares during the period. AXIS Capital accounts for 2.1% of River Road Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. River Road Asset Management LLC owned 2.12% of AXIS Capital worth $157,023,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in AXIS Capital during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter valued at $53,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of AXIS Capital by 24.0% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter valued at $60,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter valued at $70,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.44% of the company's stock.

AXIS Capital Stock Down 0.2 %

NYSE AXS traded down $0.14 on Tuesday, reaching $91.48. The company had a trading volume of 440,179 shares, compared to its average volume of 552,178. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 1-year low of $60.45 and a 1-year high of $98.11. The company's fifty day moving average is $90.89 and its 200-day moving average is $86.15.

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

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.92%. AXIS Capital's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AXS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. JMP Securities reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a report on Monday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets initiated 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 for the company. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of AXIS Capital from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $99.88.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,234,636 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director now directly owns 4,543,170 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $406,613,715. This represents a 32.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.