Wells Fargo & Company Cuts Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) Price Target to $126.00

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) had its target price reduced by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $134.00 to $126.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the insurance provider’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 20.71% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Axis Capital from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. UBS Group increased their price target on Axis Capital from $129.00 to $131.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Atlantic Securities set a $122.00 price objective on Axis Capital in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Axis Capital from $137.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Axis Capital in a research note on Wednesday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.42.

Axis Capital Stock Performance

Axis Capital stock opened at $104.38 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $7.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.49. Axis Capital has a 12 month low of $88.07 and a 12 month high of $119.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $106.02 and its 200-day moving average is $103.16.

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

Insider Activity at Axis Capital

In other news, Director Henry B. Smith sold 2,542 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.69, for a total transaction of $250,869.98. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Axis Capital by 30.9% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 4,592,270 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $491,786,000 after acquiring an additional 1,083,579 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Axis Capital in the 4th quarter worth about $103,001,000. Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new stake in Axis Capital in the 3rd quarter valued at about $56,705,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Axis Capital by 147.0% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 745,591 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $79,845,000 after purchasing an additional 443,761 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in Axis Capital by 374.7% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 553,565 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $53,032,000 after purchasing an additional 436,944 shares during the period. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Axis Capital News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Gross premiums written increased 6% to $2.7 billion, led by 15% growth in insurance premiums. Revenue of $1.75 billion also exceeded the approximately $1.74 billion analyst estimate. AXIS Capital second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: AXS reported $251 million of net income, or $3.38 per diluted share, up from $216 million, or $2.72 per share, a year earlier. Book value per diluted share rose 14.7% year over year to $80.67, while management signaled continued share repurchases during the second half of 2026 and expects about $17 million in full-year ACS fee income. AXS fee income and buybacks
• Neutral Sentiment: AXIS appointed Rahil Jogani to a newly created role leading technology and artificial-intelligence strategy. The move may support efficiency and modernization, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. AXIS technology and AI strategy appointment
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts maintain price targets above the current trading range, with a recent six-month median target of $131, although targets are not guarantees and could be revised following the earnings miss.
• Negative Sentiment: Operating income was $211 million, or $2.84 per share, below consensus estimates near $3.23–$3.30 and down from $3.29 per share a year ago. Investors appear focused on the adjusted-earnings shortfall rather than the rise in reported net income. AXIS Capital earnings miss
• Negative Sentiment: The consolidated combined ratio deteriorated to 93.1% from 85.3% in the prior-year quarter, signaling weaker underwriting performance. Catastrophe and weather-related losses reached $80 million, adding 5.3 points to the loss ratio, while weaker investment income further pressured earnings. AXIS Capital catastrophe losses

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.