IFM Investors Pty Ltd Takes Position in Markel Group Inc. $MKL

Key Points

• IFM Investors Pty Ltd disclosed a new first-quarter stake in Markel Group, buying 2,525 shares worth about $4.83 million.
• Institutional ownership in Markel remains heavy, with hedge funds and asset managers holding 77.12% of the company’s shares. Recent insider activity was mixed, including a small sale by Director Greta J. Harris and a purchase by Director Diane Leopold.
• Analysts are cautious on the stock: several firms cut ratings or price targets, and Markel’s latest earnings missed estimates sharply, with EPS of -$18.90 versus expectations of $26.38.

IFM Investors Pty Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 2,525 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,833,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MKL. Davis Selected Advisers boosted its holdings in Markel Group by 11.1% in the 4th quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 415,160 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $892,496,000 after purchasing an additional 41,632 shares during the period. Select Equity Group L.P. increased its holdings 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 raised its position 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 buying an additional 6,160 shares in the last quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC raised its position 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 buying an additional 4,972 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. boosted its stake in Markel Group by 13.0% during the fourth 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 buying an additional 23,631 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 77.12% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Greta J. Harris sold 76 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,847.31, for a total transaction of $140,395.56. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 645 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,191,514.95. This represents a 10.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Diane Leopold bought 100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $1,792.61 per share, with a total value of $179,261.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,190 shares in the company, valued at $3,925,815.90. The trade was a 4.78% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on MKL. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Markel Group from $2,100.00 to $1,950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen cut Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Brean Capital started coverage on Markel Group in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $2,100.00 price target for the company. Wolfe Research began coverage on Markel Group in a report on Wednesday. They set an "underperform" rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Markel Group from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Markel Group presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $2,025.00.

Markel Group Stock Performance

NYSE MKL opened at $1,978.80 on Friday. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,719.41 and a 52-week high of $2,207.59. The company has a fifty day moving average of $1,853.63 and a 200-day moving average of $1,971.77. The company has a market capitalization of $24.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.26 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.63.

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 analysts' consensus estimates 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 $3.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.66 billion. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 113.55 EPS 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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