Brokerages Set Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) PT at $1,685.17

Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) has received a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” from the six analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have issued a hold recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,685.17.

Several research firms have weighed in on MKL. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. TD Cowen cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Markel Group

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction on 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 owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 88 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,860.03, for a total transaction of $163,682.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Markel Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 23.1% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 32 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 6 shares during the period. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC boosted its position in shares of Markel Group by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC now owns 145 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $250,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. Gold Investment Management Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Markel Group by 0.6% during the third quarter. Gold Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,219 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,912,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. grew its stake in Markel Group by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 428 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $739,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares during the period. Finally, Greenleaf Trust raised its holdings in Markel Group by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 213 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $368,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Price Performance

Shares of Markel Group stock opened at $1,898.98 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.25 billion, a PE ratio of 9.54 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. Markel Group has a 12 month low of $1,417.65 and a 12 month high of $2,063.68. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $1,823.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,696.55.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 EPS 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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Markel Group will post 96.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.