Handelsbanken Fonder AB Boosts Holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 14.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,870 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 368 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $4,954,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group in the third quarter worth about $36,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group in the third quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Quarry LP increased its stake in shares of Markel Group by 3,000.0% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 31 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. TD Cowen lowered shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,685.17.

Markel Group Price Performance

MKL stock opened at $1,837.64 on Monday. Markel Group Inc. has a 12 month low of $1,417.65 and a 12 month high of $2,063.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,793.51 and a 200-day moving average of $1,675.65.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $20.66 by ($0.15). Markel Group had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 7.55%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was purchased 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 owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at $98,282,049.45. The trade was a 0.20 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.