Short Interest in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Grows By 19.4%

Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 184,800 shares, an increase of 19.4% from the January 15th total of 154,800 shares. Currently, 1.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 60,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.0 days.

Markel Group Price Performance

Shares of MKL traded down $27.90 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $1,869.04. The stock had a trading volume of 66,854 shares, compared to its average volume of 74,189. Markel Group has a 12 month low of $1,417.65 and a 12 month high of $2,063.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.04 billion, a PE ratio of 9.39 and a beta of 0.78. 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’s 50-day moving average is $1,782.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,664.07.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $20.66 by ($0.15). Markel Group had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 7.55%. Research analysts expect that Markel Group will post 97.92 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on MKL shares. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. TD Cowen cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Markel Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,685.17.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was purchased 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 directly 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 ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 1.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Markel Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MKL. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp increased its holdings in Markel Group by 1,000.0% in the third quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 22 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the third quarter valued at $36,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Markel Group during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in Markel Group during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.