Verdence Capital Advisors LLC Increases Holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 25.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 562 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $798,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ritter Daniher Financial Advisory LLC DE lifted its position in Markel Group by 150.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ritter Daniher Financial Advisory LLC DE now owns 20 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of Markel Group by 133.3% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 21 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group during the second quarter worth $39,000. Achmea Investment Management B.V. acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group during the first quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Fred Alger Management LLC grew its holdings in Markel Group by 220.0% during the 3rd quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 48 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Stock Up 1.4 %

NYSE:MKL opened at $1,456.69 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.00 billion, a PE ratio of 9.91 and a beta of 0.70. Markel Group Inc. has a 52 week low of $1,272.43 and a 52 week high of $1,560.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $1,483.41 and a 200-day moving average of $1,444.66.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The insurance provider reported $56.48 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $23.58 by $32.90. The firm had revenue of $3.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.75 billion. Markel Group had a return on equity of 11.22% and a net margin of 12.63%. Analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 80.08 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Transactions at Markel Group

In other news, Director A. Lynne Puckett bought 72 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of Markel Group 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 completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 45,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $63,718,474.86. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director A. Lynne Puckett bought 72 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $1,409.28 per share, for a total transaction of $101,468.16. Following the purchase, the director now owns 960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,352,908.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

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.