Russell Investments Group Ltd. Buys 7,507 Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 48.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 22,878 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,507 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.18% of Markel Group worth $39,493,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Quarry LP grew its holdings in Markel Group by 3,000.0% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 31 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MKL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on 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 Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Markel Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,702.20.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MKL opened at $1,678.42 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,865.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,740.63. 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 Inc. has a one year low of $1,417.65 and a one year high of $2,063.68. The firm has a market cap of $21.43 billion, a PE ratio of 8.43 and a beta of 0.70.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last released its quarterly earnings data 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%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at $98,282,049.45. This represents a 0.20 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,858.49, for a total value 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 represents a 1.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952 over the last three months. 1.71% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.