AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Shares Sold by Amalgamated Bank

Amalgamated Bank cut its position in AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 4,012 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 117 shares during the period. Amalgamated Bank’s holdings in AXIS Capital were worth $356,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Independent Advisor Alliance boosted its position in shares of AXIS Capital by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 32,549 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,591,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Pathstone Holdings LLC lifted its position in AXIS Capital by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 31,785 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,542,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in AXIS Capital by 24.0% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its position in AXIS Capital by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 2,799 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $248,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the period. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in AXIS Capital by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 15,394 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,226,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the period. 93.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AXIS Capital Stock Down 2.5 %

AXS opened at $95.18 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $90.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $85.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.71, a P/E/G ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.95. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 12 month low of $60.06 and a 12 month high of $98.11.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 earnings per share 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, equities analysts anticipate 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. AXIS Capital’s payout ratio is currently 14.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, January 13th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 price objective for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on AXIS Capital from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on AXIS Capital from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $99.88.

Insider Activity at AXIS Capital

In related news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,234,636 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $406,613,715. This trade represents a 32.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.