Commerce Bank Cuts Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Commerce Bank trimmed its holdings in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 13.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 936 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 145 shares during the period. Commerce Bank’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $1,616,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its position in Markel Group by 26.4% during the 4th quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 11,110 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $19,178,000 after buying an additional 2,321 shares in the last quarter. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Markel Group by 33.0% in the fourth quarter. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC now owns 371 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $640,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Markel Group during the fourth quarter valued at $1,319,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Markel Group by 132.8% in the 4th quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 142 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mariner LLC boosted its stake in Markel Group by 38.7% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 3,962 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $6,839,000 after purchasing an additional 1,106 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 88 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,860.03, for a total value of $163,682.64. Following the transaction, the director now owns 63,436 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $117,992,863.08. This represents a 0.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, with a total value of $200,801.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. The trade was a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.66% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Price Performance

MKL opened at $1,719.07 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,832.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,754.76. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $21.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.64 and a beta of 0.70. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,433.06 and a 52-week high of $2,063.68.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on MKL shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,702.20.

Markel Group 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.