AXS Near 52-Week High: Time to Add the Stock for Better Returns?

Core Insights - AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (AXS) shares closed at $102.21, near its 52-week high, indicating strong investor confidence and potential for further price appreciation [1] - The stock is trading above its 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages, suggesting solid upward momentum [1] Valuation - AXIS Capital's shares are trading at a forward price-to-book value of 1.35X, lower than the industry average of 1.54X and the Finance sector's 4.21X [3] - The company has a Value Score of B and is cheaper compared to peers like The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV), Arch Capital Group Ltd. (ACGL), and American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG) [3] Performance - AXIS Capital shares have gained 15.4% over the past year, outperforming the industry and Finance sector growth of 12% and 15%, respectively [7] - The company has a market capitalization of $7.99 billion, with an average trading volume of 0.7 million shares over the last three months [2] Growth Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AXIS Capital's 2025 earnings per share indicates a year-over-year increase of 13.2%, with revenues projected at $6.42 billion, reflecting a 5.3% improvement [8] - Earnings have grown 67.1% over the past five years, significantly outperforming the industry average of 20.9% [8] Analyst Sentiment - Two of the three analysts covering AXIS Capital have raised their earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026 in the past 30 days, leading to a 3.2% and 1.2% increase in the consensus estimates for those years [9] Target Price - The Zacks average price target for AXIS Capital is $115.60 per share, suggesting a potential upside of 13.07% from the last closing price [10] Return on Capital - The return on equity for AXIS Capital in the trailing 12 months was 18.9%, outperforming the industry average of 8% [14] Strategic Focus - AXIS Capital aims to be a leading specialty underwriter, focusing on growth areas such as wholesale insurance and lower middle markets [15] - The company is enhancing its digital capabilities and operational efficiencies, targeting a general and administrative ratio below 11% by 2026 [17] Dividend History - AXIS Capital has a strong dividend track record, having increased its dividend for 18 consecutive years, currently yielding 1.7%, significantly above the industry average of 0.2% [18] Conclusion - AXIS Capital is repositioning its portfolio and strengthening its business, focusing on efficient resource deployment and improving underwriting profitability, which positions the company for growth [19][20]