Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) Upgraded 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 Monday.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on MKL. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Markel Group from $1,590.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,435.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Markel Group from $1,700.00 to $1,675.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on Markel Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,986.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,651.83.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Shares of MKL stock opened at $1,636.14 on Monday. Markel Group has a 12-month low of $1,317.00 and a 12-month high of $1,670.24. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $21.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.55 and a beta of 0.73. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,569.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,571.76.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $17.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $21.97 by ($4.63). The business had revenue of $3.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.74 billion. Markel Group had a return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 17.03%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Markel Group will post 89.27 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Markel Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MKL. Gold Investment Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 0.6% in the third quarter. Gold Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,219 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,912,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Markel Group by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $285,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. Freedom Day Solutions LLC boosted its position in Markel Group by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Freedom Day Solutions LLC now owns 1,483 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,326,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares during the period. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Markel Group by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC now owns 745 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,170,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Advocates Investment Management increased its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 259 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $406,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Company 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.