Zacks Research Boosts Earnings Estimates for Axis Capital

Axis Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) – Research analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Axis Capital in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will post earnings per share of $3.17 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $3.07. 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 Q2 2026 earnings at $3.18 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $3.36 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $3.47 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $13.19 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $3.47 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $3.64 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.43 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $13.94 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $15.03 EPS.

Axis Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The insurance provider reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.28. Axis Capital had a net margin of 15.37% and a return on equity of 18.72%. The company had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.38 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 17.8% on a year-over-year basis.

AXS has been the subject of a number of other reports. Bank of America decreased their target price on Axis Capital from $119.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Axis Capital from $124.00 to $121.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $122.00 price target on shares of Axis Capital in a research note on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Axis Capital in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $110.00 target price on shares of Axis Capital in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $124.00.

Axis Capital Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of NYSE:AXS opened at $99.61 on Thursday. Axis Capital has a 52-week low of $84.81 and a 52-week high of $110.34. The stock has a market cap of $7.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.61. The business’s 50 day moving average is $102.75 and its 200 day moving average is $100.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AXS. Activest Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Axis Capital during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Axis Capital during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. AlphaCore Capital LLC purchased a new position in Axis Capital in the second quarter valued at about $37,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Axis Capital in the second quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Axis Capital in the third quarter worth about $43,000. 93.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Axis Capital Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Axis Capital’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.21%.

Axis Capital News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple near‑term and multi‑year EPS forecasts for AXS (Q1–Q4 2026, FY2026, several quarters in 2027 and FY2027–FY2028), lifting FY2026 to about $13.19 and FY2027 to $13.94 — a sign analysts are nudging up profit expectations. Zacks / MarketBeat EPS revision coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also published a comparative piece weighing Axis (AXS) versus W.R. Berkley (WRB) on value and positioning — useful context for investors deciding between P&C insurers but not a direct catalyst to company fundamentals. AXS vs. WRB: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Neutral Sentiment: Why the stock is down despite upgrades: investors may be trimming positions after recent gains, reacting to sector or market weakness, or responding to technical resistance (AXS is trading below its 50‑day moving average and near the 200‑day). Volume is roughly in line with average, so the decline looks like broad selling/rotation rather than a single news shock. (Background price/technical data from MarketBeat.) Market data / moving averages

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.