Davis Selected Advisers Buys 41,632 Shares of Markel Group Inc. $MKL

Key Points

• Davis Selected Advisers increased its stake in Markel Group by 11.1%, buying 41,632 shares to hold 415,160 shares — the position is MKL's 10th-largest for Davis, representing 4.0% of its portfolio and about 3.29% of Markel (valued ≈ $892.5M).
• Markel reported a large quarterly miss — EPS of ($18.90) vs. a $26.38 consensus and revenue $2.82B vs. $3.66B — and multiple firms have cut ratings, leaving an average analyst rating of Hold with a $2,025 price target.
• Institutional investors own 77.12% of MKL with several big funds boosting holdings (notably Canerector, Vanguard, Principal, Select Equity, State Street); CEO Simon Wilson sold 100 shares recently and insiders own about 1.08% of the stock.

Davis Selected Advisers grew its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 11.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 415,160 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 41,632 shares during the quarter. Markel Group accounts for 4.0% of Davis Selected Advisers' investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Davis Selected Advisers owned 3.29% of Markel Group worth $892,496,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Canerector Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 191,036.0% in the third quarter. Canerector Inc. now owns 10,703,616 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $20,458,463,000 after acquiring an additional 10,698,016 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 0.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,172,997 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,242,020,000 after acquiring an additional 5,184 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 1.8% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 547,188 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,045,947,000 after acquiring an additional 9,496 shares in the last quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 75.9% in the second quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 336,369 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $671,850,000 after acquiring an additional 145,146 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 2.1% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 304,400 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $581,818,000 after acquiring an additional 6,160 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on MKL. Truist Financial cut their price target on Markel Group from $2,100.00 to $1,950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Zacks Research cut Markel Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Brean Capital began coverage on Markel Group in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $2,100.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut Markel Group from a "buy (b)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Markel Group has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $2,025.00.

Insider Transactions at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, CEO Simon Wilson sold 100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,079.48, for a total transaction of $207,948.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,397 shares in the company, valued at $4,984,513.56. This represents a 4.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Markel Group Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE MKL opened at $1,781.71 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $1,948.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $2,018.57. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,719.41 and a 52-week high of $2,207.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.84 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The insurance provider reported ($18.90) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $26.38 by ($45.28). Markel Group had a net margin of 10.85% and a return on equity of 7.90%. The firm had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.66 billion. On average, analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 117.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Markel Group

Markel Group NYSE: MKL is a diversified insurance holding company best known for underwriting specialty insurance products. Founded in 1930 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company provides a wide range of commercial property and casualty coverages tailored to niche and hard-to-place risks. Its underwriting operations focus on specialty lines across multiple industries, delivering customized policy structures, program administration, and claims management services for complex exposures.

In addition to primary specialty insurance, Markel operates reinsurance and alternative risk-transfer activities and manages invested assets derived from underwriting float.

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