L.K. Benson & Company P.C. Takes $252,000 Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

L.K. Benson & Company P.C. acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 146 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $252,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MKL. Quilter Plc lifted its stake in Markel Group by 7.2% during the fourth quarter. Quilter Plc now owns 33,139 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $57,206,000 after purchasing an additional 2,234 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC lifted its stake in Markel Group by 25.2% during the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 1,881 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $3,247,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $252,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Markel Group by 10.4% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,571 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $8,736,000 after purchasing an additional 527 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hudson Value Partners LLC lifted its stake in Markel Group by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Hudson Value Partners LLC now owns 3,339 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $5,764,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Markel Group Stock Performance

NYSE MKL traded down $14.07 on Friday, reaching $1,833.40. The stock had a trading volume of 54,205 shares, compared to its average volume of 45,789. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. Markel Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $1,417.65 and a 12-month high of $2,063.68. The business's 50-day moving average price is $1,852.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,719.15. The stock has a market cap of $23.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.21 and a beta of 0.82.

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Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last released 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 net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 7.55%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen cut Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on 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 cut 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,702.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were purchased 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 position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $118,426,699.78. This represents a 1.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.71% of the company's stock.

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.