Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 184,800 shares, a growth of 19.4% from the January 15th total of 154,800 shares. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 60,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.0 days.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, for a total transaction of $200,801.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This represents a 0.20 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Markel Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MKL. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp raised its holdings in Markel Group by 19.9% in the 4th quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 548 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $946,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Markel Group by 15.7% in the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 96 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $166,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 106.1% in the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 237 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $408,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its position in shares of Markel Group by 16.0% during the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 16,191 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $28,008,000 after purchasing an additional 2,237 shares during the period. Finally, JCP Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $16,201,000. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Markel Group Trading Down 1.5 %

Markel Group stock traded down $27.90 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $1,869.04. 66,854 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 74,189. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,782.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,664.07. Markel Group has a fifty-two week low of $1,417.65 and a fifty-two week high of $2,063.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.39 and a beta of 0.78.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $20.66 by ($0.15). Markel Group had a return on equity of 7.55% and a net margin of 16.34%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Markel Group will post 97.92 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MKL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen lowered Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of 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. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Markel Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,685.17.

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.