Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Shares Acquired by Rathbones Group PLC

Rathbones Group PLC boosted its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 30.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,389 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 321 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $2,398,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Markel Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group during the 3rd quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Quarry LP raised its position in Markel Group by 3,000.0% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 31 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Markel Group Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:MKL opened at $1,671.77 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $1,860.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,740.86. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,417.65 and a 52-week high of $2,063.68. 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 company has a market capitalization of $21.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.40 and a beta of 0.70.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share (EPS) 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, analysts forecast that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MKL. StockNews.com downgraded Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. 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 report on Friday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,702.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 88 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,860.03, for a total transaction of $163,682.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 63,436 shares in the company, valued at approximately $117,992,863.08. This represents a 0.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $2,008.01 per share, with a total value of $200,801.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 48,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. The trade was a 0.20 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952. 1.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.