Snyder Capital Management L P Buys 1,470 Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Snyder Capital Management L P lifted its position in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 15.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,873 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 1,470 shares during the quarter. Snyder Capital Management L P owned about 0.08% of Markel Group worth $18,769,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MKL. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the third quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in Markel Group by 23.1% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 32 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares during the period. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on MKL. StockNews.com cut shares of Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,702.20.

Markel Group Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE MKL traded up $9.83 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $1,812.98. 38,576 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 49,323. The stock has a market cap of $23.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.11 and a beta of 0.70. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,826.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,761.61. Markel Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,436.00 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 released 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%. On average, analysts expect that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, with a total value of $200,801.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 88 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,860.03, for a total transaction of $163,682.64. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 63,436 shares in the company, valued at $117,992,863.08. The trade was a 0.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.66% 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.