Maryland State Retirement & Pension System Has $1.17 Million Holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lessened its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 7.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 676 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 57 shares during the quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $1,167,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in Markel Group in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Markel Group in the third quarter valued at about $36,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 800 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 64,868 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $120,446,902.40. The trade was a 1.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, for a total transaction of $200,801.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 48,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Stock Performance

NYSE:MKL opened at $1,833.40 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $23.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.21 and a beta of 0.82. 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 moving average is $1,852.81 and its 200-day moving average is $1,718.08. Markel Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,417.65 and a 1-year high of $2,063.68.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 EPS 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MKL shares. StockNews.com cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, TD Cowen cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a report on Monday, December 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,702.20.

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.