Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) Downgraded to "Hold" Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Friday.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. TD Cowen downgraded Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,685.17.

Markel Group Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of Markel Group stock traded down $27.90 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $1,869.04. 66,854 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 74,189. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,784.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,666.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market cap of $24.04 billion, a PE ratio of 9.39 and a beta of 0.78. Markel Group has a twelve month low of $1,417.65 and a twelve month high of $2,063.68.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Markel Group will post 97.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, for a total transaction of $200,801.00. Following the completion of the purchase, 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 purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.71% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Markel Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Davis Selected Advisers boosted its stake in Markel Group by 27.9% in the fourth quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 370,522 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $639,606,000 after acquiring an additional 80,922 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Markel Group by 4.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 329,209 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $516,391,000 after acquiring an additional 13,372 shares during the period. Boston Partners boosted its stake in Markel Group by 17.6% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 281,820 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $486,580,000 after acquiring an additional 42,178 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Markel Group by 5.2% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 209,054 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $327,131,000 after acquiring an additional 10,254 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $254,795,000. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Markel Group Company 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.