Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Shares Acquired by KBC Group NV

KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 47.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,966 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 631 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in Markel Group were worth $3,084,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Boston Partners increased its stake in shares of Markel Group by 36.7% in the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 214,400 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $326,124,000 after purchasing an additional 57,528 shares during the last quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. increased its position in Markel Group by 15.4% during the 2nd quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. now owns 85,247 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $134,320,000 after purchasing an additional 11,357 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Markel Group by 156,757.1% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 10,980 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $17,223,000 after acquiring an additional 10,973 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in Markel Group during the second quarter worth $15,596,000. Finally, D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. grew its stake in Markel Group by 52.2% in the second quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. now owns 22,341 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $35,202,000 after acquiring an additional 7,659 shares during the period. 77.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Markel Group Stock Performance

MKL stock traded down $7.54 during trading on Monday, reaching $1,700.10. The stock had a trading volume of 30,492 shares, compared to its average volume of 43,048. 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 firm has a market cap of $21.86 billion, a PE ratio of 7.88 and a beta of 0.73. Markel Group Inc. has a 52 week low of $1,342.66 and a 52 week high of $1,733.58. The stock's 50 day moving average is $1,581.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,582.24.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $17.34 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $21.97 by ($4.63). Markel Group had a return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 17.03%. The firm had revenue of $3.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.74 billion. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 89.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MKL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,435.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. StockNews.com cut Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Markel Group from $1,590.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,700.00 to $1,675.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,651.83.

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.