Royal Bank of Canada Reduces Position in Axis Capital Holdings Limited $AXS

Royal Bank of Canada decreased its holdings in shares of Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) by 26.3% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 35,456 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 12,647 shares during the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in Axis Capital were worth $3,596,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Entropy Technologies LP grew its holdings in Axis Capital by 31.4% during the first quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 53,905 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $5,467,000 after purchasing an additional 12,896 shares during the period. CWM LLC raised its stake in shares of Axis Capital by 37.0% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 92,101 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $9,863,000 after buying an additional 24,884 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp bought a new position in shares of Axis Capital in the fourth quarter worth about $2,192,000. Qsemble Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of Axis Capital by 258.4% during the 4th quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP now owns 37,672 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $4,034,000 after buying an additional 27,160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in shares of Axis Capital by 1,102.3% during the 1st quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 65,575 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $6,636,000 after buying an additional 60,121 shares in the last quarter. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Axis Capital Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of AXS opened at $101.32 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $107.41 and its 200 day moving average is $103.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Axis Capital Holdings Limited has a 12-month low of $88.07 and a 12-month high of $119.99. The company has a market capitalization of $7.39 billion, a PE ratio of 7.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.36 and a beta of 0.50.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.25 by ($0.41). Axis Capital had a return on equity of 17.00% and a net margin of 16.23%.The business had revenue of $1.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.29 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Axis Capital Holdings Limited will post 12.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on AXS shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Axis Capital from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on shares of Axis Capital from $131.00 to $125.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Axis Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Axis Capital from $134.00 to $126.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Atlantic Securities set a $122.00 price objective on shares of Axis Capital in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $120.50.

Axis Capital News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Axis Capital’s preferred stock, AXS PFD E, was highlighted for offering a competitive yield relative to other insurance companies, which may support investor interest in the company’s preferred securities. The report has less direct impact on common shares. AXS PFD E Offers Competitive Yield Versus Other Insurance Companies
• Neutral Sentiment: Axis Capital’s shares have increased while trading near $101, but remain below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The stock’s low valuation—approximately 7.2 times earnings—and strong profitability may be providing some support, although recent earnings expectations have weakened.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded AXS from “Hold” to “Strong Sell” and lowered its earnings forecasts across multiple periods. Estimates were reduced for Q3 2026 to $2.87 per share from $3.38, FY2026 to $12.58 from $13.54, FY2027 to $13.40 from $13.64, and FY2028 to $14.45 from $14.62. Additional cuts included Q1 2027 to $3.20, Q2 2027 to $3.33, Q3 2027 to $3.28, and Q1 2028 to $3.39 per share. The broad-based reductions signal concern about Axis Capital’s earnings trajectory and could pressure the common stock. Zacks Research Decreases Earnings Estimates for Axis Capital

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.