Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Stock Holdings Boosted by Barr E S & Co.

Barr E S & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 2.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 80,853 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 1,957 shares during the period. Markel Group accounts for 8.3% of Barr E S & Co.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Barr E S & Co. owned 0.63% of Markel Group worth $139,571,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MKL. Stifel Financial Corp increased its position in shares of Markel Group by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 4,567 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $7,164,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $278,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 12.3% in the 3rd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 173 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $271,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Markel Group by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 209,054 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $327,131,000 after purchasing an additional 10,254 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Markel Group by 3.8% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 273 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $430,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Markel Group Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE MKL traded up $4.21 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $1,767.46. 223,077 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 48,824. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $1,839.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,749.97. The company has a market cap of $22.47 billion, a PE ratio of 8.88 and a beta of 0.70. Markel Group Inc. has a twelve month low of $1,420.04 and a twelve month 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 issued 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 net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 7.55%. Research analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted 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 report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,702.20.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, 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 sale, the director now directly owns 63,436 shares of the company's stock, valued at $117,992,863.08. This trade represents a 0.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, for a total transaction of $200,801.00. Following the purchase, 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 position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. 1.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.