Short Interest in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Grows By 19.4%

Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 184,800 shares, an increase of 19.4% from the January 15th total of 154,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 60,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.0 days. Approximately 1.5% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Shares of Markel Group stock traded down $27.90 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $1,869.04. 66,854 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 74,189. Markel Group has a 12 month low of $1,417.65 and a 12 month high of $2,063.68. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,782.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,664.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of $24.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.39 and a beta of 0.78.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 EPS 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%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Markel Group will post 97.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on MKL. TD Cowen downgraded Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. StockNews.com cut shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have given a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,685.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was bought 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 in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This represents a 0.20 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Markel Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of Markel Group by 16.3% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 250 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning increased its stake in shares of Markel Group by 10.9% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 5,584 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $8,759,000 after purchasing an additional 549 shares during the last quarter. Hengehold Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $229,000. Bleakley Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Markel Group by 22.2% during the 3rd quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 231 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $362,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Markel Group by 78.9% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 195 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $307,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. 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.