StockNews.com Downgrades Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) to Hold

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Monday.

MKL has been the subject of a number of other reports. 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 research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Markel Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. They set a buy rating and a $1,986.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $1,643.50.

Markel Group Price Performance

NYSE MKL opened at $1,549.00 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,557.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,558.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.37 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Markel Group has a 12-month low of $1,295.65 and a 12-month high of $1,670.24.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $25.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $20.76 by $5.19. The firm had revenue of $3.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.86 billion. Markel Group had a return on equity of 11.12% and a net margin of 13.00%. Analysts forecast that Markel Group will post 89.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, Director Lawrence A. Cunningham bought 20 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $1,512.50 per share, for a total transaction of $30,250.00. Following the completion of 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 filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MKL. Crestmont Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Crestmont Private Wealth LLC now owns 287 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $450,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC raised its holdings in Markel Group by 327.5% in the 3rd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 714 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,120,000 after purchasing an additional 547 shares during the period. Burns Matteson Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Markel Group during the third quarter worth approximately $295,000. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Markel Group by 12.1% in the third quarter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC now owns 232 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $362,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its position in shares of Markel Group by 500.0% in the third quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 60 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $94,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is 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.