Lazard Asset Management LLC Purchases 24,725 Shares of Axis Capital Holdings Limited $AXS

Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) by 18.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 161,823 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,725 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Axis Capital were worth $16,410,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Activest Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Axis Capital during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Axis Capital by 80.8% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 396 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Axis Capital in the 1st quarter worth $43,000. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac purchased a new position in Axis Capital during the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Axis Capital during the 4th quarter worth $51,000. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Axis Capital

In other Axis Capital news, Director Henry B. Smith sold 2,542 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.69, for a total value of $250,869.98. Following the sale, the director directly owned 46,347 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,573,985.43. This represents a 5.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Axis Capital Stock Performance

AXS opened at $106.03 on Thursday. Axis Capital Holdings Limited has a 12-month low of $88.07 and a 12-month high of $119.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.82 billion, a PE ratio of 7.53, a P/E/G ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.49. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $106.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $103.16.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The insurance provider reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.25 by ($0.41). The business had revenue of $1.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.74 billion. Axis Capital had a net margin of 16.23% and a return on equity of 17.10%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.29 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Axis Capital Holdings Limited will post 13.23 EPS for the current year.

Axis Capital Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were given a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Axis Capital’s payout ratio is currently 13.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Axis Capital in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group boosted their price target on Axis Capital from $129.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Axis Capital from $119.00 to $134.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Atlantic Securities set a $122.00 price objective on shares of Axis Capital in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Axis Capital from $126.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Axis Capital presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $123.08.

Axis Capital News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Axis Capital this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Net income available to common shareholders rose 16% year over year to $251 million, or $3.38 per diluted share. Gross premiums written increased 6% to $2.7 billion, led by 15% growth in insurance premiums. Book value per diluted share also increased 14.7% year over year to $80.67. AXIS Capital second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Management signaled expectations for approximately $17 million in full-year ACS fee income and indicated that share repurchases should continue during the second half of 2026, potentially supporting per-share value. AXIS ACS fee income and buybacks
• Neutral Sentiment: AXIS appointed Rahil Jogani to a newly created role overseeing technology and artificial-intelligence strategy. The move may improve operational efficiency over time, but its near-term financial effect is unclear. AXIS appoints technology and AI strategy head
• Negative Sentiment: Operating income was $211 million, or $2.84 per share, below analyst expectations of roughly $3.23–$3.25. The consolidated combined ratio deteriorated to 93.1% from 85.3% a year earlier, while catastrophe and weather-related losses reached $80 million, or 5.3 loss-ratio points. Weaker underwriting, lower investment income and the earnings miss outweighed the reported net-income growth. AXIS Capital second-quarter earnings miss

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.