Boston Partners Purchases 30,448 Shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS)

Boston Partners increased its position in shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) by 4.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 710,382 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 30,448 shares during the period. Boston Partners owned 0.85% of AXIS Capital worth $62,992,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter valued at $53,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised 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 valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AXIS Capital by 73.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter valued at $60,000. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,139,037 shares of AXIS Capital stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.50, for a total transaction of $199,999,959.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,404,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $224,786,435.50. The trade was a 47.08 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

AXIS Capital Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AXS opened at $94.97 on Thursday. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 52 week low of $60.45 and a 52 week high of $98.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.69, a PEG ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.91. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $91.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $86.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 EPS for the quarter, topping 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, analysts expect that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.85%. AXIS Capital’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. JMP Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a report on Monday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets assumed 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 on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $115.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 13th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of AXIS Capital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $100.25.

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.