Bessemer Group Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Bessemer Group Inc. lowered its position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 37.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 494 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 300 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc.'s holdings in Markel Group were worth $853,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 30.0% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 1,657 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,599,000 after acquiring an additional 382 shares in the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Markel Group by 6,000.0% in the third quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 61 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Markel Group by 9.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 2,143 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $3,361,000 after buying an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, Blankinship & Foster LLC bought a new position in shares of Markel Group during the 3rd quarter worth $643,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $118,426,699.78. This represents a 1.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost 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 owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This represents a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952. 1.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Markel Group Stock Performance

NYSE:MKL traded up $4.21 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $1,767.46. 223,077 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 48,936. The company's 50 day moving average price is $1,835.67 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,753.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.88 and a beta of 0.70. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,433.06 and a 52-week high of $2,063.68. 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 issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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, research analysts forecast that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Markel Group 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.