Leavell Investment Management Inc. Trims Stock Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Leavell Investment Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 268 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 8 shares during the period. Leavell Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $463,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Gold Investment Management Ltd. grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Gold Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,219 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,912,000 after acquiring an additional 7 shares during the period. Gilbert & Cook Inc. grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 428 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $739,000 after acquiring an additional 7 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 213 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $368,000 after acquiring an additional 7 shares during the period. Freedom Day Solutions LLC grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Freedom Day Solutions LLC now owns 1,483 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,326,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares during the period. Finally, Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC now owns 745 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,170,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted 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 six have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Markel Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,685.17.

Insider Transactions at Markel Group

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, for a total transaction of $200,801.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Trading Down 0.2 %

MKL stock opened at $1,896.18 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Markel Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $1,417.65 and a 12-month high of $2,063.68. The stock has a market cap of $24.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.53 and a beta of 0.78. The business’s 50-day moving average is $1,777.65 and its 200 day moving average is $1,660.43.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last issued its 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%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 97.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.