Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) has received a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the five analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One 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 analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $1,450.00.

A number of research analysts recently commented on MKL shares. Janney Montgomery Scott reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,600.00 price target on shares of Markel Group in a research note on Friday, March 15th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $1,680.00 to $1,500.00 in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,475.00 target price on shares of Markel Group in a research report on Friday, February 2nd.

Markel Group Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of MKL stock opened at $1,432.54 on Tuesday. 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 firm’s 50-day moving average is $1,482.15 and its 200-day moving average is $1,446.67. The stock has a market cap of $18.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.75 and a beta of 0.70. Markel Group has a 52-week low of $1,272.43 and a 52-week high of $1,560.00.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The insurance provider reported $56.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $23.58 by $32.90. The company had revenue of $3.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.75 billion. Markel Group had a net margin of 12.63% and a return on equity of 11.22%. Sell-side analysts predict that Markel Group will post 80.08 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was acquired at an average price 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 in the company, valued at $63,718,474.86. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $1,414.74 per share, with a total value of $141,474.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 45,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $63,718,474.86. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director A. Lynne Puckett purchased 72 shares of the company’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 purchase, the director now directly owns 960 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,352,908.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.75% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Markel Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MKL. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC increased its position in shares of Markel Group by 2.2% during the first quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 3,746 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $5,699,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Markel Group by 9.1% in the first quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,326 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,017,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Global Assets Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the first quarter worth $133,143,000. True North Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the first quarter worth $2,765,000. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Markel Group by 2.5% in the first quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 326 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $496,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

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.