Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Stock Position Raised by Kensington Investment Counsel LLC

Kensington Investment Counsel LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,223 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 8 shares during the period. Kensington Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $2,111,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 23.1% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 32 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC lifted its position in Markel Group by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC now owns 145 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $250,000 after buying an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 1.7% during the 4th 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. Greenleaf Trust boosted its position in shares of Markel Group by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 213 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $368,000 after acquiring an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Markel Group by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 469 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $810,000 after acquiring an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on MKL. TD Cowen lowered shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. 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 note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,702.20.

Markel Group Trading Up 0.7 %

MKL opened at $1,860.89 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1,841.01 and its 200-day moving average is $1,711.83. Markel Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,417.65 and a 1-year high of $2,063.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market cap of $23.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.35 and a beta of 0.82.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last posted its earnings results 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%. Equities research analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly 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 purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,858.49, for a total transaction of $2,129,829.54. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 63,722 shares in the company, valued at approximately $118,426,699.78. This trade represents a 1.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952 in the last quarter. 1.71% of the stock is 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.