DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale Acquires 84 Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale lifted its holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 5.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,669 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 84 shares during the quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $2,349,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Markel Group during the 4th quarter worth about $18,145,000. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. raised its holdings in Markel Group by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 17,656 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $25,070,000 after purchasing an additional 1,167 shares during the last quarter. Chicago Capital LLC bought a new stake in Markel Group during the 4th quarter worth about $3,313,000. Scharf Investments LLC raised its holdings in Markel Group by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Scharf Investments LLC now owns 126,920 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $180,214,000 after purchasing an additional 4,933 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec bought a new stake in Markel Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,313,000. 77.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Janney Montgomery Scott reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,600.00 price objective on shares of Markel Group in a report on Friday, March 15th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $1,475.00 price target on shares of Markel Group in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $1,680.00 to $1,500.00 in a research note on Monday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,450.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $1,414.74 per share, for a total transaction of $141,474.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 45,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $63,718,474.86. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $1,414.74 per share, with a total value of $141,474.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 45,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $63,718,474.86. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director A. Lynne Puckett purchased 72 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $1,409.28 per share, with a total value of $101,468.16. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 960 shares in the company, valued at $1,352,908.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.75% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Shares of MKL stock opened at $1,432.54 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.62. The company has a market capitalization of $18.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.75 and a beta of 0.70. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $1,482.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,446.67. Markel Group Inc. has a 52 week low of $1,272.43 and a 52 week high of $1,560.00.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The insurance provider reported $56.48 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $23.58 by $32.90. The firm had revenue of $3.71 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.75 billion. Markel Group had a net margin of 12.63% and a return on equity of 11.22%. On average, analysts expect that Markel Group Inc. will post 80.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Markel Group Company 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.