Markel Group Inc. $MKL Shares Sold by Anchor Capital Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Anchor Capital Advisors LLC trimmed its Markel Group stake by 2.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 927 shares and ending with 32,922 shares valued at about $70.8 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains cautious: several analysts downgraded or rated the stock Hold, and the consensus price target is now about $2,025.
• Markel Group recently reported a sharp earnings miss, posting EPS of -$18.90 versus expectations of $26.38, while revenue also came in below estimates at $3.55 billion.

Anchor Capital Advisors LLC lowered its position in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 32,922 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 927 shares during the period. Markel Group accounts for approximately 2.0% of Anchor Capital Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.26% of Markel Group worth $70,771,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its position in Markel Group by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 767 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,649,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Markel Group by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 47,385 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $101,860,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the period. Crestmont Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Crestmont Private Wealth LLC now owns 417 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $896,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 13.9% during the fourth quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 41 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $88,000 after purchasing an additional 5 shares during the period. Finally, Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Markel Group by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 4,146 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $8,912,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Brean Capital assumed coverage on shares of Markel Group in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $2,100.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Markel Group from a "buy (b)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of 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. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Markel Group presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $2,025.00.

Markel Group Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:MKL opened at $1,787.23 on Wednesday. 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 market capitalization of $22.36 billion, a PE ratio of 12.88 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.63. The company has a fifty day moving average of $1,880.99 and a 200-day moving average of $2,005.27.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The insurance provider reported ($18.90) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $26.38 by ($45.28). Markel Group had a return on equity of 7.90% and a net margin of 10.85%.The firm had revenue of $3.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.66 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 113.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Greta J. Harris sold 76 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,847.31, for a total value of $140,395.56. Following the sale, the director directly owned 645 shares in the company, valued at $1,191,514.95. This represents a 10.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Diane Leopold purchased 100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $1,792.61 per share, with a total value of $179,261.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 2,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,925,815.90. The trade was a 4.78% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 1.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Markel Group 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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