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

Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) have received a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” from the six analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have issued a hold recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $1,685.17.

MKL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com cut shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, TD Cowen cut shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research note on Monday, December 2nd.

Markel Group Stock Up 0.7 %

NYSE MKL opened at $1,900.29 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 has a 1-year low of $1,417.65 and a 1-year high of $2,063.68. The company has a 50 day moving average of $1,807.70 and a 200-day moving average of $1,683.54. The company has a market cap of $24.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.55 and a beta of 0.78.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $20.66 by ($0.15). Markel Group had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 7.55%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Markel Group will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the director now owns 63,722 shares in the company, valued at $118,426,699.78. This represents a 1.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952 in the last three months. Company insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Markel Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Markel Group during the third quarter worth about $36,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Company 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.