Sprott Inc. Buys Shares of 492 Markel Group Inc. $MKL

Key Points

• Sprott Inc. has acquired a new stake in Markel Group Inc., purchasing 492 shares valued at approximately $920,000 during the first quarter.
• Markel Group reported strong quarterly earnings, with an EPS of $25.46, surpassing analysts' expectations by $0.72 and achieving a revenue of $4.82 billion, compared to the anticipated $3.96 billion.
• Analyst ratings for Markel Group show a consensus of "Hold," with one upgrade to "Buy," and a target price forecast of $1,820.33.

Sprott Inc. purchased a new stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 492 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $920,000.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MKL. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth about $236,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S boosted its position in Markel Group by 168.3% during the 4th quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 542 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $936,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the period. Natixis boosted its position in Markel Group by 103.9% during the 4th quarter. Natixis now owns 155 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $268,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC boosted its position in Markel Group by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 848 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,463,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its holdings in Markel Group by 164.7% in the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 315 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $544,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company's stock.

Markel Group Price Performance

MKL traded up $21.55 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $1,966.12. The company's stock had a trading volume of 18,134 shares, compared to its average volume of 56,705. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.79 and a beta of 0.82. Markel Group Inc. has a 12 month low of $1,494.00 and a 12 month high of $2,075.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $1,976.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,901.33.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The insurance provider reported $25.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $24.74 by $0.72. Markel Group had a return on equity of 7.18% and a net margin of 13.39%.The company had revenue of $4.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $18.62 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 24.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Argus raised Markel Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Markel Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,820.33.

About Markel Group

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.