Scharf Investments LLC Has $166.15 Million Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Scharf Investments LLC cut its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 6.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 88,869 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 6,396 shares during the quarter. Markel Group comprises approximately 5.1% of Scharf Investments LLC's holdings, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Scharf Investments LLC owned approximately 0.70% of Markel Group worth $166,150,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new position in Markel Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its stake in Markel Group by 300.0% during the 1st quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 20 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its position in shares of Markel Group by 866.7% in the 4th quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 29 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA increased its position in shares of Markel Group by 23.1% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 32 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 6 shares during the period. 77.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Markel Group Trading Up 1.6%

MKL traded up $32.32 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $1,997.32. 42,499 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 51,661. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market cap of $25.35 billion, a PE ratio of 14.72 and a beta of 0.85. The firm's fifty day moving average is $1,891.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,836.53. Markel Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,491.03 and a 1-year high of $2,063.68.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other news, Director Greta J. Harris sold 90 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,861.44, for a total transaction of $167,529.60. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 632 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,176,430.08. The trade was a 12.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.66% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Argus raised Markel Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Markel Group has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,727.75.

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.