Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Stake Decreased by Marshall Wace LLP

Marshall Wace LLP decreased its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Free Report) by 86.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,486 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 16,178 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP's holdings in Markel Group were worth $4,291,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Davis Selected Advisers boosted its holdings in Markel Group by 27.9% in the 4th quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 370,522 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $639,606,000 after acquiring an additional 80,922 shares during the period. Boston Partners lifted its position in shares of Markel Group by 17.6% during the fourth 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 purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at $254,795,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Markel Group during the 4th quarter valued at $169,852,000. Finally, Barr E S & Co. increased its stake in Markel Group by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Barr E S & Co. now owns 80,853 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $139,571,000 after buying an additional 1,957 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,702.20.

Markel Group Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of MKL stock traded down $5.43 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $1,814.50. 66,130 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 49,477. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $1,824.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,764.15. Markel Group Inc. has a one year low of $1,449.35 and a one year high of $2,063.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.12 and a beta of 0.70.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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%. Sell-side analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 88 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,860.03, for a total transaction of $163,682.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 63,436 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $117,992,863.08. This represents a 0.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were bought at an average price of $2,008.01 per share, for a total transaction of $200,801.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. Company insiders own 1.66% of the company's stock.

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.