QRG Capital Management Inc. Grows Stock Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 18.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 318 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $549,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKL. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Markel Group during the 4th quarter worth $169,852,000. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its position in Markel Group by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 927 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,600,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Markel Group by 13.5% during the fourth quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 285 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $492,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. New York Life Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth about $387,000. Finally, Checchi Capital Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $209,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Shares of MKL stock opened at $1,868.10 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,817.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,693.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.86 billion, a PE ratio of 9.39 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Markel Group Inc. has a 52 week low of $1,417.65 and a 52 week high of $2,063.68.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were acquired 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 owns 48,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,146 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,858.49, for a total transaction of $2,129,829.54. Following the transaction, the director now owns 63,722 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $118,426,699.78. The trade was a 1.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952. 1.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MKL. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com lowered Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, TD Cowen cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,685.17.

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.