Ashton Thomas Securities LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Ashton Thomas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 2.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,056 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the quarter. Markel Group accounts for about 1.0% of Ashton Thomas Securities LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $3,549,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Markel Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Markel Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Markel Group

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, with a total value of $200,801.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. The trade was a 0.20 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,856.80, for a total value of $1,485,440.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 64,868 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $120,446,902.40. The trade was a 1.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. Corporate insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. TD Cowen downgraded Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,702.20.

Markel Group Price Performance

Shares of MKL stock opened at $1,870.21 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock has a market cap of $23.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.40 and a beta of 0.82. The business’s fifty day moving average is $1,856.87 and its 200 day moving average is $1,721.35. Markel Group Inc. has a twelve month low of $1,417.65 and a twelve month high of $2,063.68.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $20.66 by ($0.15). Markel Group had a return on equity of 7.55% and a net margin of 16.34%. Research analysts expect that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Markel Group Profile

Markel Group Inc, a diverse holding company, engages in marketing and underwriting specialty insurance products in the United States, Bermuda, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The company offers general and professional liability, personal lines, marine and energy, specialty programs, and workers' compensation insurance products; and property coverages that include fire, allied lines, and other specialized property coverages, including catastrophe-exposed property risks, such as earthquake and wind.