Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Boosts Holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 4.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 927 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $1,600,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. 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 target price on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, TD Cowen cut shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a report on Monday, December 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,685.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,858.49, for a total value of $2,129,829.54. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 63,722 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $118,426,699.78. The trade was a 1.77 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, for a total transaction of $200,801.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. 1.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Markel Group Stock Down 0.7 %

MKL stock opened at $1,919.34 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Markel Group Inc. has a twelve month low of $1,417.65 and a twelve month high of $2,063.68. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1,815.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,691.36. The stock has a market cap of $24.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.64 and a beta of 0.78.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 7.55% and a net margin of 16.34%. Research analysts expect that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.