Annandale Capital LLC Acquires 19 Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Annandale Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,137 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 19 shares during the period. Markel Group comprises 0.9% of Annandale Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Annandale Capital LLC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $5,415,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of MKL. Norges Bank bought a new position in Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth about $254,795,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $169,852,000. Davis Selected Advisers increased its holdings in Markel Group by 27.9% during 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 during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Markel Group during the 4th quarter valued at $98,743,000. Finally, Boston Partners lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 17.6% in the 4th 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 during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on MKL. StockNews.com lowered Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Markel Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,702.20.

Markel Group Price Performance

Shares of MKL stock opened at $1,721.17 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $1,868.94 and its 200 day moving average is $1,737.63. Markel Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,417.65 and a 1-year high of $2,063.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The company has a market cap of $21.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.65 and a beta of 0.82.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 88 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,860.03, for a total value of $163,682.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 63,436 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $117,992,863.08. This trade represents a 0.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price 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 in the company, valued at $98,282,049.45. The trade was a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. 1.71% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.