TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. Purchases 196 Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 164.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 315 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.'s holdings in Markel Group were worth $544,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in Markel Group during the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 23.1% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 32 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 6 shares during the period. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $2,008.01 per share, for a total transaction of $200,801.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,945 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,856.80, for a total transaction of $1,485,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 64,868 shares in the company, valued at $120,446,902.40. This trade represents a 1.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952. Company insiders own 1.66% of the company's stock.

Markel Group Stock Up 0.5 %

MKL stock traded up $9.83 during trading on Monday, hitting $1,812.98. 38,576 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 49,323. Markel Group Inc. has a 1 year low of $1,436.00 and a 1 year high of $2,063.68. The firm's 50 day moving average is $1,825.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,763.40. The stock has a market cap of $23.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.11 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 net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 7.55%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MKL shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada upped 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 research report on Friday, February 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Markel Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price 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.