Natixis Advisors LLC Has $21.51 Million Stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Markel Group Inc. by 11.8%, holding 11,506 shares valued at $21.5 million after selling 1,544 shares in the first quarter.
• GAMMA Investing LLC significantly increased its holdings by 210,656.4%, now owning 115,916 shares worth $216.7 million, indicating strong institutional interest in Markel Group.
• Markel Group's stock is currently rated as a "hold" by analysts, though Argus has upgraded it to a "buy" with a price target of $1,820.33.

Natixis Advisors LLC cut its position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 11.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,506 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 1,544 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned 0.09% of Markel Group worth $21,512,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKL. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Markel Group in the first quarter worth about $28,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its stake in shares of Markel Group by 300.0% in the first quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 20 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its stake 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 during the last quarter. Wayfinding Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Markel Group in the first quarter worth about $54,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Markel Group by 178.6% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 39 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Markel Group

In other news, Director Greta J. Harris sold 90 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director owned 632 shares in the company, valued at $1,176,430.08. This represents a 12.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Markel Group Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE MKL traded up $18.81 during trading on Monday, reaching $1,948.68. 57,430 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 43,328. The firm has a market cap of $24.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.69 and a beta of 0.82. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $1,971.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,889.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Markel Group Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $1,491.03 and a fifty-two week high of $2,075.92.

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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $24.74 by $0.72. The company had revenue of $4.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.96 billion. Markel Group had a net margin of 13.39% and a return on equity of 7.18%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 24.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $18.62 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current year.

Markel Group Profile

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.