Mariner LLC Purchases 1,106 Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Mariner LLC grew its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 38.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,962 shares of the insurance provider's stock after buying an additional 1,106 shares during the period. Mariner LLC's holdings in Markel Group were worth $6,839,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MKL. Davis Selected Advisers raised its position in shares of Markel Group by 27.9% during the fourth quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 370,522 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $639,606,000 after purchasing an additional 80,922 shares during the period. Boston Partners increased its stake in Markel Group by 17.6% during the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 281,820 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $486,580,000 after purchasing an additional 42,178 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Markel Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $254,795,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $169,852,000. Finally, Barr E S & Co. lifted its stake in Markel Group by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Barr E S & Co. now owns 80,853 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $139,571,000 after buying an additional 1,957 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKL has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Markel Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,702.20.

Insider Buying and Selling at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, with a total value of $200,801.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at $98,282,049.45. This represents a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,856.80, for a total transaction of $1,485,440.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 64,868 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $120,446,902.40. This trade represents a 1.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. 1.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Markel Group Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of MKL traded down $8.42 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $1,800.00. 22,062 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 49,034. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,827.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,757.08. Markel Group Inc. has a 52 week low of $1,433.06 and a 52 week high of $2,063.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.88 billion, a PE ratio of 9.04 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $20.66 by ($0.15). Markel Group had a return on equity of 7.55% and a net margin of 16.34%. On average, analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.