Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Hold" from the six research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,643.50.

MKL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Markel Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $1,986.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,590.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Markel Group from $1,435.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, October 7th.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In related news, Director Lawrence A. Cunningham purchased 20 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $1,512.50 per share, for a total transaction of $30,250.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 743 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,123,787.50. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Markel Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Toth Financial Advisory Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 1,000.0% during the 3rd quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 22 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in Markel Group by 833.3% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 28 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in Markel Group during the second quarter worth about $45,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in Markel Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Institutional investors own 77.12% of the company's stock.

Markel Group Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of MKL stock traded down $28.33 on Friday, hitting $1,549.80. The company's stock had a trading volume of 28,461 shares, compared to its average volume of 41,842. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.09 and a beta of 0.73. Markel Group has a fifty-two week low of $1,295.65 and a fifty-two week high of $1,670.24. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $1,568.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,564.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, 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 results on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $25.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $20.76 by $5.19. The company had revenue of $3.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.86 billion. Markel Group had a return on equity of 11.12% and a net margin of 13.00%. Research analysts anticipate that Markel Group will post 91.55 EPS for the current year.

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.