Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) Rating Lowered to Hold at Zacks Research

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on MKL. Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Markel Group in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Markel Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Markel Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $2,025.00.

Markel Group Stock Up 0.3%

MKL opened at $2,065.11 on Monday. Markel Group has a fifty-two week low of $1,621.89 and a fifty-two week high of $2,207.59. The business has a 50-day moving average of $2,107.57 and a 200-day moving average of $2,006.67. The company has a market capitalization of $26.04 billion, a PE ratio of 12.93 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The insurance provider reported $30.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $22.77 by $8.13. Markel Group had a net margin of 12.99% and a return on equity of 7.76%. The business had revenue of $3.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.77 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that Markel Group will post 96.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Simon Wilson sold 75 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,072.94, for a total value of $155,470.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,770 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,669,103.80. The trade was a 4.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,330 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,119.12, for a total value of $2,818,429.60. Following the transaction, the director owned 60,368 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $127,927,036.16. This represents a 2.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,575 shares of company stock valued at $3,330,900. Corporate insiders own 1.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Markel Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its holdings in Markel Group by 180.0% during the 2nd quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 14 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Markel Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised its stake in shares of Markel Group by 183.3% in the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 17 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Company Profile

Markel Group (NYSE: MKL) is a diversified insurance holding company best known for underwriting specialty insurance products. Founded in 1930 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company provides a wide range of commercial property and casualty coverages tailored to niche and hard-to-place risks. Its underwriting operations focus on specialty lines across multiple industries, delivering customized policy structures, program administration, and claims management services for complex exposures.

In addition to primary specialty insurance, Markel operates reinsurance and alternative risk-transfer activities and manages invested assets derived from underwriting float.