Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Receives Average Rating of “Reduce” from Brokerages

Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) has been given an average recommendation of “Reduce” by the five research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and four have assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,702.20.

MKL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. TD Cowen lowered Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The shares were bought at an average price of $2,008.01 per share, with a total value of $200,801.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,856.80, for a total transaction of $1,485,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 64,868 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $120,446,902.40. This represents a 1.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Markel Group

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in Markel Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Markel Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Markel Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Markel Group Stock Performance

MKL stock opened at $1,867.00 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60. Markel Group has a 1-year low of $1,417.65 and a 1-year high of $2,063.68. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $1,867.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,732.85. The company has a market capitalization of $23.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.38 and a beta of 0.82.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $20.66 by ($0.15). Markel Group had a return on equity of 7.55% and a net margin of 16.34%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Markel Group will post 96.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Markel Group

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.