Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Makes New Investment in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 2,800 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $248,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of AXS. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in AXIS Capital by 24.0% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter worth $82,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 985 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of AXIS Capital in the 3rd quarter valued at about $99,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AXIS Capital Price Performance

AXS stock traded down $0.01 on Wednesday, reaching $91.59. The company had a trading volume of 243,491 shares, compared to its average volume of 661,382. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. The company's fifty day moving average is $89.75 and its 200 day moving average is $84.04. The company has a market cap of $7.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.42, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.95. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 1 year low of $60.06 and a 1 year high of $94.89.

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

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.92%. AXIS Capital's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of AXIS Capital from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AXIS Capital from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. 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 target on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price objective on AXIS Capital from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Three investment 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 has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $99.88.

Insider Transactions at AXIS Capital

In related news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,234,636 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was 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 approximately $406,613,715. This represents a 32.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

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.