BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Raises Stock Holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S grew its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 168.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 542 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 340 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S's holdings in Markel Group were worth $936,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth about $254,795,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $169,852,000. Davis Selected Advisers boosted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 27.9% during the fourth quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 370,522 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $639,606,000 after purchasing an additional 80,922 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Markel Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $98,743,000. Finally, Boston Partners raised 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 worth $486,580,000 after buying an additional 42,178 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MKL has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,702.20.

Insider Transactions at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,858.49, for a total value of $2,129,829.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 63,722 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $118,426,699.78. The trade was a 1.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 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 ninety days, insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952. Company insiders own 1.66% of the company's stock.

Markel Group Stock Down 0.4 %

Markel Group stock traded down $6.49 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $1,806.79. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,804 shares, compared to its average volume of 49,151. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.07 and a beta of 0.70. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $1,825.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,763.40. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,436.00 and a 52-week high of $2,063.68.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 EPS 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%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current 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.