Geode Capital Management LLC Boosts Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 0.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 209,280 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 226 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $360,605,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MKL. Davis Selected Advisers lifted its stake in Markel Group by 27.9% in the 4th quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 370,522 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $639,606,000 after purchasing an additional 80,922 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 4.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 329,209 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $516,391,000 after purchasing an additional 13,372 shares during the period. Boston Partners raised its position in shares of Markel Group by 17.6% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 281,820 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $486,580,000 after buying an additional 42,178 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Markel Group during the fourth quarter valued at $254,795,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth about $169,852,000. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The stock was 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 directly owns 48,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $98,282,049.45. The trade was a 0.20 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 800 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,856.80, for a total value of $1,485,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 64,868 shares in the company, valued at $120,446,902.40. This trade represents a 1.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. Insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Price Performance

MKL opened at $1,721.17 on Friday. 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 has a market capitalization of $21.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.65 and a beta of 0.82. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1,868.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,737.63. Markel Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $1,417.65 and a 12-month high of $2,063.68.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Markel Group 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.