Watchman Group Inc. Has $4.39 Million Stake in Markel Group Inc. $MKL

Key Points

• Watchman Group Inc. reduced its stake in Markel Group Inc. by 5.6% during the first quarter, owning 2,347 shares valued at approximately $4,388,000.
• Markel Group's latest earnings showed a significant increase in revenue, reporting $4.82 billion for the quarter, up 24.3% year-over-year, with an EPS of $25.46.
• Analysts have upgraded Markel Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating, with the stock currently holding a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,820.33.

Watchman Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 5.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,347 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 138 shares during the quarter. Markel Group makes up 1.2% of Watchman Group Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Watchman Group Inc.'s holdings in Markel Group were worth $4,388,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Markel Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $115,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Markel Group by 12.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 62 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $116,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. purchased a new stake in Markel Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $372,000. Check Capital Management Inc. CA boosted its holdings in Markel Group by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Check Capital Management Inc. CA now owns 79,086 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $147,860,000 after buying an additional 1,921 shares during the period. Finally, Values Added Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Markel Group by 42.0% in the 1st quarter. Values Added Financial LLC now owns 1,511 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,825,000 after purchasing an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Markel Group Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of MKL stock traded up $31.6630 on Tuesday, hitting $1,954.0230. 42,127 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 57,111. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $1,972.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,899.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.72 billion, a PE ratio of 11.72 and a beta of 0.82. Markel Group Inc. has a twelve month low of $1,494.00 and a twelve month high of $2,075.92.

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

Insider Activity

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

Markel Group Company 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.