Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) Lifted to “Buy” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Wednesday morning.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. TD Cowen began coverage on Markel Group in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. They issued a buy rating and a $1,986.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Markel Group from $1,435.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Markel Group currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $1,626.83.

Markel Group Price Performance

Markel Group stock opened at $1,566.89 on Wednesday. Markel Group has a 52 week low of $1,295.65 and a 52 week high of $1,670.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market cap of $20.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.46 and a beta of 0.73. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,562.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,554.82.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $25.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $20.76 by $5.19. The company had revenue of $3.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.86 billion. Markel Group had a net margin of 13.00% and a return on equity of 11.12%. On average, research analysts forecast that Markel Group will post 89.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other news, Director Lawrence A. Cunningham bought 20 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $1,512.50 per share, for a total transaction of $30,250.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 743 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,123,787.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Markel Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKL. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $65,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in Markel Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $45,000. American Trust purchased a new position in Markel Group during the second quarter valued at $277,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the second quarter worth about $2,803,000. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 16.0% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 1,453 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,289,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

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.