Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Short Interest Update

Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 207,400 shares, a growth of 19.8% from the March 31st total of 173,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 63,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.3 days. Currently, 1.7% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Markel Group Stock Up 2.9 %

MKL traded up $52.72 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $1,877.25. The company had a trading volume of 48,710 shares, compared to its average volume of 49,176. The company has a market capitalization of $23.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.43 and a beta of 0.70. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $1,823.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,768.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Markel Group has a 52 week low of $1,491.03 and a 52 week high of $2,063.68.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 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 will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MKL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Markel Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,702.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 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 ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 88 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,860.03, for a total value of $163,682.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 63,436 shares in the company, valued at approximately $117,992,863.08. This represents a 0.14 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952 over the last three months. Insiders own 1.66% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Markel Group

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 23.1% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 32 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC lifted its stake in Markel Group by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC now owns 145 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $250,000 after acquiring an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Markel Group by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 878 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,642,000 after acquiring an additional 6 shares during the last quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. grew its stake in shares of Markel Group by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 428 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $739,000 after acquiring an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Greenleaf Trust raised its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 213 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company's stock.

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.

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