Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Shares Sold by Boston Partners

Key Points

• Boston Partners reduced its stake in Markel Group Inc. by 1.8% during the first quarter, now owning 276,672 shares valued at approximately $517 million.
• Markel Group was recently upgraded from a "hold" to a "buy" rating by Argus, though it still holds a consensus rating of "Hold" among analysts, with an average target price of $1,820.33.
• Insider Director Greta J. Harris sold 90 shares of Markel's stock for about $167,529, indicating a decrease in their ownership percentage.

Boston Partners trimmed its position in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 1.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 276,672 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 5,148 shares during the period. Boston Partners owned approximately 2.18% of Markel Group worth $517,182,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MKL. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Markel Group by 183.3% during the first quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 17 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Markel Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its stake in Markel Group by 300.0% during the first quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 20 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the period. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its position in shares of Markel Group by 866.7% in the fourth quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 29 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Argus upgraded shares of Markel Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 30th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,820.33.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In related news, Director Greta J. Harris sold 90 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction on Friday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,861.44, for a total value of $167,529.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 632 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,176,430.08. The trade was a 12.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.66% of the company's stock.

Markel Group Stock Down 1.3%

NYSE:MKL traded down $25.69 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $1,928.46. The stock had a trading volume of 35,694 shares, compared to its average volume of 45,523. The company has a market cap of $24.40 billion, a PE ratio of 11.57 and a beta of 0.82. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,973.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,897.45. Markel Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,494.00 and a 1-year high of $2,075.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The insurance provider reported $25.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $24.74 by $0.72. Markel Group had a net margin of 13.39% and a return on equity of 7.18%. The firm had revenue of $4.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $18.62 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 24.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current year.

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.