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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 ☐ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Large accelerated filer Non - accelerated filer FORM 10 - K TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 OR Title of each class Common shares , par value $ 0.0125 per share Depositary Shares , each representing a 1 / 100th interest in a 5.50 % Series E preferred shares For the transition period from to Commission file number 001-31721 AXIS CAPITAL HOLDINGS LIMITED ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Bermuda ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) 98-0395986 ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) 92 Pitts Bay Road , Pembroke , Bermuda HM 08 ( Address of principal executive offices and zip code ) ( 441 ) 496-2600 ( Registrant's telephone number , including area code ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol ( s ) Accelerated filer Smaller reporting company П AXS AXS PRE Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes No Name of each exchange on which registered New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( §232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes > No No No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of " large accelerated filer " , " accelerated filer " , " smaller reporting company " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Emerging growth company If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes No > The aggregate market value of the voting and non - voting common equity held by non - affiliates of the registrant , computed by reference to the closing price at the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter , June 30 , 2020 , was approximately $ 3.4 billion . At February 22 , 2021 , there were 84,407,257 common shares outstanding , $ 0.0125 par value per share , of the registrant . DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the registrant's definitive proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A relating to the annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 7 , 2021 are incorporated by reference in response to items 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 in Part III of this Form 10 - K . The definitive proxy statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the registrant's fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 .