Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) Reaches New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $1,811.71 and last traded at $1,804.41, with a volume of 12228 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $1,774.07.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. TD Cowen downgraded Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price target for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Markel Group from $1,590.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,700.00 to $1,675.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Markel Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 30th. 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 currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,626.83.

Markel Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $23.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.29 and a beta of 0.78. 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 $1,730.43 and its 200-day moving average is $1,626.19.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $17.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $21.97 by ($4.63). Markel Group had a net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 10.86%. The business had revenue of $3.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.74 billion. On average, analysts expect that Markel Group Inc. will post 86.92 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Markel Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SpiderRock Advisors LLC grew its position in Markel Group by 199.4% in the third quarter. SpiderRock Advisors LLC now owns 473 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $742,000 after acquiring an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. Versor Investments LP grew its holdings in Markel Group by 72.4% during the 3rd quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 381 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $598,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC increased its stake in Markel Group by 25.2% during the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 1,881 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,247,000 after buying an additional 379 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Markel Group during the 2nd quarter worth $2,803,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in Markel Group by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,571 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $8,736,000 after buying an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.