Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” by the six analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $1,685.17.

MKL has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen downgraded shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Markel Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday.

Markel Group Stock Down 1.6 %

MKL opened at $2,027.51 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $26.08 billion, a PE ratio of 10.19 and a beta of 0.78. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,766.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,652.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Markel Group has a 52 week low of $1,405.11 and a 52 week high of $2,063.68.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced 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%. Analysts forecast that Markel Group will post 97.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price 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 directly owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.71% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Markel Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in Markel Group by 16.0% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 1,453 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,289,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Markel Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,803,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 2nd quarter worth $45,000. Finally, Chemistry Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Chemistry Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,587 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $4,058,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

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.