Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC Cuts Stock Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 56.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 145 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 190 shares during the period. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $227,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MKL. Toth Financial Advisory Corp raised its stake in shares of Markel Group by 1,000.0% during the 3rd quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 22 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in Markel Group by 833.3% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 28 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $45,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in Markel Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $55,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Markel Group news, Director Lawrence A. Cunningham acquired 20 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $1,512.50 per share, with a total value of $30,250.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 743 shares in the company, valued at $1,123,787.50. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.71% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MKL. StockNews.com cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Markel Group from $1,590.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Citigroup increased their price target on Markel Group from $1,435.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on Markel Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,986.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,643.50.

Markel Group Price Performance

MKL traded up $10.84 during trading on Friday, reaching $1,552.85. 20,073 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 42,422. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a market cap of $20.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.11 and a beta of 0.73. The company’s 50-day moving average is $1,568.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,566.46. Markel Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $1,295.65 and a 12-month high of $1,670.24.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $17.34 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $21.97 by ($4.63). Markel Group had a net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 11.14%. The business had revenue of $3.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.74 billion. Research analysts forecast that Markel Group Inc. will post 91.55 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.