StockNews.com Downgrades Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) to Hold

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

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on MKL. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of 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. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,700.00 to $1,675.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,590.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,651.83.

Markel Group Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE MKL opened at $1,706.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of $21.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.88 and a beta of 0.73. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,581.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,582.24. Markel Group has a one year low of $1,342.66 and a one year high of $1,733.58.

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). Markel Group had a return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 17.03%. The firm had revenue of $3.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.74 billion. Equities analysts forecast that Markel Group will post 89.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Gold Investment Management Ltd. lifted its position in Markel Group by 0.6% in the third quarter. Gold Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,219 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,912,000 after buying an additional 7 shares during the last quarter. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Markel Group by 4.6% in the second quarter. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $285,000 after buying an additional 8 shares during the last quarter. Freedom Day Solutions LLC lifted its position in Markel Group by 0.5% in the third quarter. Freedom Day Solutions LLC now owns 1,483 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,326,000 after buying an additional 8 shares during the last quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Markel Group by 1.1% during the third quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC now owns 745 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,170,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Advocates Investment Management lifted its position in shares of Markel Group by 3.2% during the third quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 259 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $406,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares in 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.