BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND ACCOUNTING POLICIES	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND ACCOUNTING POLICIES	Basis of Presentation These interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (“AXIS Capital”) and its subsidiaries (herein referred to as “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”). The consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2017 and the consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for the periods ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 have not been audited. The balance sheet at December 31, 2016 is derived from our audited financial statements. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the Securities and Exchange Commission's (“SEC”) instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position and results of operations for the periods presented. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The following information should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. Tabular dollar and share amounts are in thousands, except per share amounts. All amounts are reported in U.S. dollars. Significant Accounting Policies There were no notable changes in our significant accounting policies subsequent to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. New Accounting Standards Adopted in 2017 Stock Compensation - Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting Effective January 1, 2017, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU" ) ASU 2016-09, "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payments to employees including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The guidance requires all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recognized in the income statement with the tax effects of exercised or vested awards to be treated as discrete items in the reporting period in which they occur. Excess tax benefits should be classified along with other income tax cash flows as an operating activity on the statement of cash flows. In addition, companies will be required to make an entity-wide accounting policy election to either estimate the number of awards that are expected to vest or account for forfeitures when they occur. The guidance allows withholding up to the maximum statutory tax rates in the applicable jurisdictions to cover income taxes on share-based compensation awards without requiring liability classification. Cash paid by an employer when directly withholding shares for tax withholding purposes should be classified as a financing activity. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted Revenue From Contracts With Customers In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)". This guidance affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (for example, insurance contracts are not in scope of the new guidance). The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB delayed the effective date by one year through the issuance of ASU 2015-14, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date". This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Accounting for insurance contracts is outside the scope of ASU 2014-09. The Company generates an insignificant amount of fee income, primarily from strategic capital partners, which is reported in other insurance related income (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and is subject to this accounting standard update. The Company's current accounting policy to recognize fee income in the period when related services are performed, principally aligns with this update. As a result, the Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-08 "Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20) - Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities" which shortens the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium. This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. Stock Compensation - Scope of Modification Accounting In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09 "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Scope of Modification Accounting" to provide clarity and reduce diversity in practice of applying the guidance in Topic 718 to a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. This ASU provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. The guidance states that an entity should account for the effects of a modification unless all the following are met: (1) the fair value of the modified award is the same as the fair value of the original award immediately before the original award is modified; (2) the vesting conditions of the modified award are the same as the vesting conditions of the original award immediately before the original award is modified; and (3) the classification of the modified award as an equity instrument or a liability instrument is the same as the classification of the original award immediately before the original award is modified. The current disclosure requirements in Topic 718 apply regardless of whether an entity is required to apply modification accounting under the amendments in this Update. This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Basis of Presentation

These interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (“AXIS Capital”) and its subsidiaries (herein referred to as “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”).

The consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2017 and the consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for the periods ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 have not been audited. The balance sheet at December 31, 2016 is derived from our audited financial statements.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the Securities and Exchange Commission's (“SEC”) instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position and results of operations for the periods presented. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

The following information should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. Tabular dollar and share amounts are in thousands, except per share amounts. All amounts are reported in U.S. dollars.

Significant Accounting Policies

There were no notable changes in our significant accounting policies subsequent to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.

New Accounting Standards Adopted in 2017

Stock Compensation - Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting

Effective January 1, 2017, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU" ) ASU 2016-09, "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payments to employees including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The guidance requires all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recognized in the income statement with the tax effects of exercised or vested awards to be treated as discrete items in the reporting period in which they occur. Excess tax benefits should be classified along with other income tax cash flows as an operating activity on the statement of cash flows. In addition, companies will be required to make an entity-wide accounting policy election to either estimate the number of awards that are expected to vest or account for forfeitures when they occur. The guidance allows withholding up to the maximum statutory tax rates in the applicable jurisdictions to cover income taxes on share-based compensation awards without requiring liability classification. Cash paid by an employer when directly withholding shares for tax withholding purposes should be classified as a financing activity. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Revenue From Contracts With Customers

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)". This guidance affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (for example, insurance contracts are not in scope of the new guidance). The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB delayed the effective date by one year through the issuance of ASU 2015-14, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date". This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Accounting for insurance contracts is outside the scope of ASU 2014-09. The Company generates an insignificant amount of fee income, primarily from strategic capital partners, which is reported in other insurance related income (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and is subject to this accounting standard update. The Company's current accounting policy to recognize fee income in the period when related services are performed, principally aligns with this update. As a result, the Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-08 "Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20) - Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities" which shortens the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium. This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Stock Compensation - Scope of Modification Accounting

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09 "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Scope of Modification Accounting" to provide clarity and reduce diversity in practice of applying the guidance in Topic 718 to a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. This ASU provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. The guidance states that an entity should account for the effects of a modification unless all the following are met: (1) the fair value of the modified award is the same as the fair value of the original award immediately before the original award is modified; (2) the vesting conditions of the modified award are the same as the vesting conditions of the original award immediately before the original award is modified; and (3) the classification of the modified award as an equity instrument or a liability instrument is the same as the classification of the original award immediately before the original award is modified. The current disclosure requirements in Topic 718 apply regardless of whether an entity is required to apply modification accounting under the amendments in this Update. This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.