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

Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) have earned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $1,685.17.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. TD Cowen lowered Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. StockNews.com downgraded Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th.

Markel Group Stock Up 0.7 %

NYSE MKL opened at $1,900.29 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $1,807.70 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,683.54. Markel Group has a one year low of $1,417.65 and a one year high of $2,063.68. The company has a market capitalization of $24.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.55 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last issued 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 analysts predict that Markel Group will post 96.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $2,008.01 per share, for a total transaction of $200,801.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This represents a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,858.49, for a total transaction of $2,129,829.54. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 63,722 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $118,426,699.78. This trade represents a 1.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952. Insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Private Advisor Group LLC grew its stake in Markel Group by 39.2% during the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 597 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $936,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Markel Group by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,052 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $6,355,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 98.1% in the 3rd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 418 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $656,000 after buying an additional 207 shares during the period. abrdn plc grew its position in Markel Group by 38.4% during the 3rd quarter. abrdn plc now owns 2,671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $4,190,000 after purchasing an additional 741 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. bought a new position in Markel Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $271,000. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.