Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Boosts Stock Position in Markel Group Inc. $MKL

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors increased its Markel Group stake by 4.9% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 136,985 shares valued at about $262.2 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with hedge funds and other institutions holding 77.12% of Markel’s stock. Several other large investors also added to their positions during recent quarters.
• Markel Group reported a sharp earnings miss in its latest quarter, posting EPS of -$18.90 versus expectations of $26.38, while analysts currently hold a cautious stance with a “Reduce” consensus rating and a $2,025 price target.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 4.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 136,985 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 6,428 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 1.09% of Markel Group worth $262,172,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Davis Selected Advisers raised its stake in Markel Group by 11.1% during the 4th quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 415,160 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $892,496,000 after acquiring an additional 41,632 shares during the period. Select Equity Group L.P. boosted its position 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 purchasing an additional 145,146 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased 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 purchasing an additional 6,160 shares in the last quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC increased its stake in shares of Markel Group by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 209,999 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $452,365,000 after purchasing an additional 4,972 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. raised its position in shares of Markel Group by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. now owns 204,861 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $440,379,000 after purchasing an additional 23,631 shares during the period. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Markel Group news, Director Greta J. Harris sold 76 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,847.31, for a total transaction of $140,395.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 645 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,191,514.95. This represents a 10.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Diane Leopold acquired 50 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $1,789.19 per share, with a total value of $89,459.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 550 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $984,054.50. This represents a 10.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 1.08% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MKL shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Markel Group from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Markel Group in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. They set an "underperform" rating on the stock. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on Markel Group from $2,100.00 to $1,950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $2,025.00.

Markel Group Trading Down 0.9%

Markel Group stock opened at $1,944.69 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $24.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.01 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.63. Markel Group Inc. has a 1 year low of $1,719.41 and a 1 year high of $2,207.59. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $1,886.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,951.08.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The insurance provider reported ($18.90) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $26.38 by ($45.28). Markel Group had a return on equity of 7.90% and a net margin of 10.85%.The company had revenue of $3.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.66 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 114.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Markel Group Company Profile

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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