Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) Downgraded to Hold Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on MKL. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,590.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Markel Group from $1,700.00 to $1,675.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,435.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,651.83.

Markel Group Price Performance

Markel Group stock traded down $2.39 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1,707.64. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 48,558 shares, compared to its average volume of 43,105. Markel Group has a twelve month low of $1,342.66 and a twelve month high of $1,733.58. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $1,581.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,580.65. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $21.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.88 and a beta of 0.73.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $17.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $21.97 by ($4.63). The business had revenue of $3.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.74 billion. Markel Group had a return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 17.03%. Research analysts forecast that Markel Group will post 89.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Markel Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Boston Partners raised its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 36.7% during the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 214,400 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $326,124,000 after purchasing an additional 57,528 shares during the period. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec lifted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 3,729.3% in the third quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 14,896 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $23,366,000 after buying an additional 14,507 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 4.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 329,209 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $516,391,000 after buying an additional 13,372 shares during the last quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. increased its position in shares of Markel Group by 15.4% during the second quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. now owns 85,247 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $134,320,000 after acquiring an additional 11,357 shares in the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 156,757.1% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 10,980 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $17,223,000 after acquiring an additional 10,973 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Company 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.