Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. Boosts Stock Holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. grew its position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 19.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 121,589 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 19,657 shares during the period. Markel Group comprises 2.1% of Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V.'s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. owned 0.95% of Markel Group worth $209,891,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quilter Plc lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. Quilter Plc now owns 33,139 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $57,206,000 after buying an additional 2,234 shares during the period. Fiduciary Alliance LLC boosted its position in shares of Markel Group by 25.2% during the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 1,881 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $3,247,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group during the 4th quarter worth $252,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,571 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $8,736,000 after purchasing an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Korea Investment CORP increased its holdings in Markel Group by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 8,247 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $14,236,000 after buying an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Markel Group Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of MKL stock traded down $3.91 on Friday, reaching $1,804.50. 73,564 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 49,304. The stock has a market cap of $22.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.07 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,826.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,758.78. Markel Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,433.06 and a 1-year high of $2,063.68.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last announced 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 net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 7.55%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Activity

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

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.