Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) Given New $2,025.00 Price Target at Royal Bank of Canada

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) had its target price upped by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "sector perform" rating on the insurance provider's stock. Royal Bank of Canada's price target indicates a potential upside of 4.03% from the company's previous close.

MKL has been the topic of several other research reports. TD Cowen cut Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their target price for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded Markel Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,685.17.

Markel Group Stock Down 2.2 %

Shares of NYSE:MKL traded down $44.03 during trading on Friday, hitting $1,946.60. 95,605 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 74,911. Markel Group has a 52 week low of $1,417.65 and a 52 week high of $2,063.68. 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 company has a market cap of $25.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.78 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $1,770.65 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,656.41.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share 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%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Markel Group will post 97.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,945 shares of the company's stock, valued at $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MKL. Davis Selected Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 27.9% during the 4th quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 370,522 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $639,606,000 after acquiring an additional 80,922 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 329,209 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $516,391,000 after acquiring an additional 13,372 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 17.6% during the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 281,820 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $486,580,000 after acquiring an additional 42,178 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 209,054 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $327,131,000 after acquiring an additional 10,254 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $169,852,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company's stock.

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.