Barclays PLC Sells 7,299 Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Barclays PLC lessened its holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 38.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,496 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 7,299 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned about 0.09% of Markel Group worth $19,844,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Giverny Capital Inc. lifted its stake in Markel Group by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Giverny Capital Inc. now owns 43,331 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $74,799,000 after purchasing an additional 647 shares during the last quarter. Barr E S & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Barr E S & Co. now owns 80,853 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $139,571,000 after acquiring an additional 1,957 shares during the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 115.7% during the 4th quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 932 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,609,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth about $233,000. Finally, DRW Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $354,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on MKL. StockNews.com lowered shares of Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Markel Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,702.20.

Markel Group Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of Markel Group stock traded up $14.29 on Thursday, hitting $1,810.97. 31,245 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 49,086. The company has a fifty day moving average of $1,828.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,755.28. Markel Group Inc. has a one year low of $1,433.06 and a one year high of $2,063.68. The company has a market capitalization of $23.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.10 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,858.49, for a total value of $2,129,829.54. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 63,722 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $118,426,699.78. This trade represents a 1.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. The trade was a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. Corporate insiders own 1.66% 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.