J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 42.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 203 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $288,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MKL. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Markel Group in the third quarter worth $343,000. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in Markel Group by 1,685.1% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,678 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,471,000 after buying an additional 1,584 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its position in Markel Group by 0.4% in the third quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 2,368 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,486,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Goldstein Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Markel Group in the third quarter worth $200,000. Finally, Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new stake in Markel Group in the third quarter worth $1,231,000. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $1,414.74 per share, for a total transaction of $141,474.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 45,039 shares in the company, valued at $63,718,474.86. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Markel Group news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $1,414.74 per share, for a total transaction of $141,474.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 45,039 shares in the company, valued at $63,718,474.86. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director A. Lynne Puckett acquired 72 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $1,409.28 per share, with a total value of $101,468.16. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,352,908.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Markel Group Stock Performance

NYSE:MKL opened at $1,463.11 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.62. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,272.43 and a 52-week high of $1,560.00. The firm has a market cap of $19.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.96 and a beta of 0.70. The business’s fifty day moving average is $1,484.62 and its 200 day moving average is $1,444.97.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The insurance provider reported $56.48 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $23.58 by $32.90. Markel Group had a return on equity of 11.22% and a net margin of 12.63%. The business had revenue of $3.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.75 billion. Research analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 80.08 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKL has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Janney Montgomery Scott reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,600.00 target price on shares of Markel Group in a research report on Friday, March 15th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $1,475.00 price target on shares of Markel Group in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $1,680.00 to $1,500.00 in a research note on Monday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,450.00.

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.