AXIS Capital Holdings (NYSE:AXS) Is Paying Out A Dividend Of $0.44

The board of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.44 per share on the 18th of January. Based on this payment, the dividend yield on the company's stock will be 3.2%, which is an attractive boost to shareholder returns.

View our latest analysis for AXIS Capital Holdings

AXIS Capital Holdings' Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. However, prior to this announcement, AXIS Capital Holdings' dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This means that most of what the business earns is being used to help it grow.

Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 79.9%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 16% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

AXIS Capital Holdings Has A Solid Track Record

The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. The dividend has gone from an annual total of $1.00 in 2013 to the most recent total annual payment of $1.76. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 5.8% per annum over that time. The growth of the dividend has been pretty reliable, so we think this can offer investors some nice additional income in their portfolio.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

Investors who have held shares in the company for the past few years will be happy with the dividend income they have received. AXIS Capital Holdings has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 27% per annum. Earnings have been growing rapidly, and with a low payout ratio we think that the company could turn out to be a great dividend stock.

We Really Like AXIS Capital Holdings' Dividend

Overall, we like to see the dividend staying consistent, and we think AXIS Capital Holdings might even raise payments in the future. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 7 AXIS Capital Holdings analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with our free report on analyst estimates for the company. Is AXIS Capital Holdings not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.