Bessemer Group Inc. Sells 300 Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Bessemer Group Inc. cut its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 37.8% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 494 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 300 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $853,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Markel Group in the third quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 23.1% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 32 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Markel Group Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of Markel Group stock opened at $1,790.07 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,854.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,748.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.75 billion, a PE ratio of 8.99 and a beta of 0.70. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,417.65 and a 52-week high of $2,063.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $20.66 by ($0.15). Markel Group had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 7.55%. On average, analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 88 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,860.03, for a total value of $163,682.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 63,436 shares in the company, valued at approximately $117,992,863.08. This trade represents a 0.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, with a total value of $200,801.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at $98,282,049.45. The trade was a 0.20 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. Corporate insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,702.20.

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.