Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Stake Reduced by Scharf Investments LLC

Scharf Investments LLC lessened its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 5.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 95,265 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 5,564 shares during the quarter. Markel Group comprises approximately 4.9% of Scharf Investments LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Scharf Investments LLC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $164,450,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MKL. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in Markel Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp grew its stake in shares of Markel Group by 1,000.0% in the third quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 22 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Markel Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Markel Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Price Performance

MKL stock opened at $1,829.52 on Friday. 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 firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1,751.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,640.90. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,342.66 and a 52-week high of $1,842.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.44 and a beta of 0.78.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $17.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $21.97 by ($4.63). Markel Group had a net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 10.86%. The company had revenue of $3.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.74 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that Markel Group Inc. will post 86.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Markel Group from $1,590.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. TD Cowen cut shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on shares of Markel Group from $1,700.00 to $1,675.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Markel Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,626.83.

Markel Group 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.