Zacks Research Lowers Earnings Estimates for AXIS Capital

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) – Research analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q1 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of AXIS Capital in a research note issued on Tuesday, March 25th. Zacks Research analyst T. De now forecasts that the insurance provider will earn $2.61 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $2.62. The consensus estimate for AXIS Capital’s current full-year earnings is $11.19 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AXIS Capital’s Q3 2025 earnings at $2.62 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $3.46 EPS and Q3 2026 earnings at $3.34 EPS.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on AXS. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on 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. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on AXIS Capital in a report on Monday, January 13th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com raised AXIS Capital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. JMP Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $100.50.

AXIS Capital Stock Performance

Shares of AXS stock opened at $99.57 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $93.00 and its 200 day moving average is $87.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.06, a PEG ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.91. AXIS Capital has a 12 month low of $60.45 and a 12 month high of $101.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last announced 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%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AXIS Capital

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in AXIS Capital by 60.2% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 27,658 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,451,000 after acquiring an additional 10,393 shares during the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 197.7% in the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 24,542 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,175,000 after purchasing an additional 16,298 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new position in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter valued at $610,000. Forum Financial Management LP purchased a new position in AXIS Capital in the 4th quarter worth $254,000. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new stake in AXIS Capital in the fourth quarter worth $224,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at AXIS Capital

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 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

AXIS Capital Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. AXIS Capital’s payout ratio is 14.25%.

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.