Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Holdings Lowered by Fiduciary Group LLC

Fiduciary Group LLC lessened its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 9.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,105 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 214 shares during the period. Fiduciary Group LLC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $2,989,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its position in Markel Group by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 2,234 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,290,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the period. Denali Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Markel Group by 10,100.0% in the third quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 102 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $150,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Markel Group by 4.8% during the third quarter. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $416,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. increased its position in Markel Group by 45.5% in the 3rd quarter. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,165,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund raised its stake in shares of Markel Group by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 8,346 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $12,289,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on MKL shares. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $1,680.00 to $1,500.00 in a report on Monday, February 5th. Janney Montgomery Scott reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,600.00 price objective on shares of Markel Group in a research note on Friday, March 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,475.00 target price on shares of Markel Group in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Markel Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,450.00.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Markel Group stock traded down $14.43 on Friday, reaching $1,436.52. 33,777 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 37,614. The stock has a market cap of $18.73 billion, a PE ratio of 9.77 and a beta of 0.70. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $1,483.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,444.67. Markel Group Inc. has a twelve month low of $1,272.43 and a twelve month high of $1,560.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The insurance provider reported $56.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $23.58 by $32.90. The firm had revenue of $3.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.75 billion. Markel Group had a return on equity of 11.22% and a net margin of 12.63%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 80.08 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Markel Group

In related news, Director A. Lynne Puckett acquired 72 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $1,409.28 per share, for a total transaction of $101,468.16. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,352,908.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $1,414.74 per share, with a total value of $141,474.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 45,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $63,718,474.86. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director A. Lynne Puckett purchased 72 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $1,409.28 per share, with a total value of $101,468.16. Following the purchase, the director now owns 960 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,352,908.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.