Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) Reaches New 52-Week High at $1,570.98

Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $1,570.98 and last traded at $1,555.94, with a volume of 57731 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $1,476.34.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Markel Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.66 and a beta of 0.69. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,483.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,444.07.

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

Insider Activity at Markel Group

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ritter Daniher Financial Advisory LLC DE grew its position in Markel Group by 150.0% in the third quarter. Ritter Daniher Financial Advisory LLC DE now owns 20 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 133.3% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 21 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $57,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC lifted its position in shares of Markel Group by 3,200.0% during the 3rd quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 66 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $97,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.