Oct 29, 2026 earnings call — Quarterly results: growth, ACS, and portfolio discipline
AXIS grew diluted book value 7% over the past 12 months, or 14.4% excluding AOCI.
Revenue $1.8B (est $1.7B) · EPS $3.12 (est $2.85)
Key quotes
"We commented ahead of the market on the need for vigilance in liability and cyber, and in 2026 have reduced premiums by 8% and 14%, respectively."
"Finally, through our AXIS Capacity Solutions capability, also known as ACS, we are matching our specialty underwriting knowledge with third-party capital."
"Since the fourth quarter of 2023, we have reduced our share count by approximately 16.6%."
Analyst Q&A 8
buybacks vs growth choice
Q (Chris · Mizuho): Why prioritize growth that compresses margins and lowers returns instead of buying back stock given the current share price?
A: Management said it is not an either/or choice. They can support growth that is value accretive while also returning capital through buybacks because they have a strong balance sheet and capital to do both.
"We have a strong balance sheet and the capital to support both initiatives." — Matt Kirk (CFO)
commission ratio and mix shift
Q (Speaker 4): How high can the insurance acquisition (commission) ratio move because of mix shift? Will improved loss ratios from mix fully offset that?
A: They said yes, they expect loss ratio improvement from mix to help. They guided to a commission ratio of 21% and suggested 22% is a reasonable proxy for the fourth quarter because of marine war and terrorism business.
"I think 22% is a good proxy for the fourth quarter." — Matt Kirk (CFO)
marine war and ACS growth
Q (Charlie Lederer · BMO): Is the marine war growth in the core book or new/expanded classes? Is this quarter representative of future core vs new/expanded trends? And what's the updated view on ACS growth and potentially walking away from some business in year two?
A: They said the marine war business is not included in new and expanded. They noted strong results in new and expanded and a run rate around 5%-6% that they expect to continue, and for ACS they are pleased, will curate the portfolio in year two and may tweak the portfolio as premiums unfold.
"To the first part of your question, it is not included in new and expanded." — Vince Tizzio (CEO)
next year growth and loss ratios
Q (Andrew Kligerman · TD Cowen): Can we expect double-digit insurance growth next year and where would it come from? Also, should we expect erosion from the strong combined ratio or can you hold in the low 90s?
A: They said they are specialists and focused on risk-adjusted returns, but they will not give guidance for 2027 and are not prepared to comment on double-digit growth for 2027. On the loss ratio, they pointed to prior guidance and said their composite view for 2027 will become clearer through the fourth quarter while emphasizing transparency and consistent results.
"Nonetheless, growth at double digit, we're not prepared to give any commentary or guidance about that for the 2027 year." — Vince Tizzio (CEO)
ACS downsizing and war premium impact
Q (Hristian Getsov · Wells Fargo): If you downsize ACS (RAC Re) with stricter underwriting, how would that affect the insurance underlying margin versus the 54% expectation? Also, how much marine war premium was in the quarter and will that continue in Q4?
A: They said downsizing ACS would not materially change their underwriting KPIs and they are not relying on one initiative for underwriting profits. They also said they had about $100 million of earned premium from war in the quarter, which had a modest impact of around a half a point on attritional ratio, and Q4 sizing is uncertain.
"We had about $100 million of earned premium from war in the quarter." — Matt Kirk (CFO)
cyber pricing and capital efficiency
Q (Andrew Andersen · Jefferies): Has cyber rate decline hit a floor or is growth versus rate change driven by mix? And have past ADCs or business mix shifts released capital this year and could more capital efficiency come?
A: They said the cyber rate decline has dissipated but the risk landscape remains heightened and they remain hypervigilant with no expected material change in underwriting strategy. On capital, they recognized capital relief from the LPT last year, which supported larger share returns, and they have appropriate capital to continue the share repurchase program and will be active in the fourth quarter.
"we have appropriate capital to continue our share repurchase program." — Matt Kirk (CFO)
investment income and cyber limits
Q (Rowland Mayor · RBC): Was the step-up in fixed maturity net investment income one-time or sustainable? And where do you sit in the cyber market, limits, and reinsurance?
A: They said the step-up was driven by growth in the invested asset base and higher yields, and suggested about $200 million as a broad Q4 net investment income pick while noting private equity marks can be lumpy. For cyber, they target large accounts with net limits under $4 million, use a partnership for middle market, and reinsure with a substantial quota share plus XOL tail cover.
"If you wanted to pick a number, a broad pick, about $200 million for Q4 would not be a bad place to put yourself." — Matt Kirk (CFO)
scale and cost of ACS business
Q (Josh Shanker · BofA): Can you scale AXIS Capacity Solutions now and how much of the insurance growth was from ACS? Also, how does acquisition cost for ACS compare to business produced by AXIS underwriters, and is the fee income offset visible in acquisition expense?
A: They said they can scale AXIS Capacity Solutions but will not comment on the order; governance and sign-off are high. They said acquisition expense increases are offset by fee income that reduces G&A rather than acquisition expense, the RAC Re volume is about 400+ million previously and isn't materially changing, delegated business shrunk to about 14%-odd, and overall the fee offset is broadly net neutral in the expense ratio.
"It's broadly a net neutral that you're going to find in the expense ratio." — Vince Tizzio (CEO)