Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. Takes Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 125 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $197,000.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Watchman Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Watchman Group Inc. now owns 2,355 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,344,000 after buying an additional 8 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Markel Group by 2.5% during the first quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 326 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $496,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLC grew its holdings in Markel Group by 3.4% in the first quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLC now owns 240 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $362,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares during the period. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Markel Group by 4.6% during the second quarter. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 3,095 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $4,395,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKL has been the topic of several recent research reports. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Markel Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,986.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup increased their target price on Markel Group from $1,435.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,626.83.

Markel Group Price Performance

Shares of MKL opened at $1,533.79 on Friday. Markel Group Inc. has a twelve month low of $1,295.65 and a twelve month high of $1,670.24. The company has a market capitalization of $19.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.28 and a beta of 0.73. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,567.36 and a 200 day moving average of $1,546.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $25.95 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $20.76 by $5.19. The business had revenue of $3.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.86 billion. Markel Group had a return on equity of 11.12% and a net margin of 13.00%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 89.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Lawrence A. Cunningham bought 20 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $1,512.50 per share, for a total transaction of $30,250.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 743 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,123,787.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.71% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.