Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. Acquires 19,657 Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. boosted its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 19.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 121,589 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 19,657 shares during the period. Markel Group comprises approximately 2.1% of Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V.'s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. owned 0.95% of Markel Group worth $209,891,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKL. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its holdings in Markel Group by 164.7% during the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 315 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $544,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 435.1% in the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,006 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,737,000 after purchasing an additional 818 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 848 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,463,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Natixis grew its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 103.9% in the fourth quarter. Natixis now owns 155 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $268,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ossiam increased its stake in Markel Group by 34.5% during the 4th quarter. Ossiam now owns 320 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $552,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Markel Group Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of MKL traded down $3.91 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $1,804.50. The stock had a trading volume of 73,564 shares, compared to its average volume of 49,227. The company has a market cap of $22.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.07 and a beta of 0.70. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $1,827.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,757.08. Markel Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,433.06 and a 1-year 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share 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%. Equities research analysts expect that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,858.49, for a total transaction of $2,129,829.54. Following the sale, the director now owns 63,722 shares in the company, valued at approximately $118,426,699.78. The trade was a 1.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost 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 in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. The trade was a 0.20 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. 1.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.