Ridgewood Investments LLC Reduces Stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Ridgewood Investments LLC cut its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,013 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 20 shares during the period. Markel Group comprises approximately 1.6% of Ridgewood Investments LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Ridgewood Investments LLC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $3,157,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Markel Group by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,191,714 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,692,115,000 after acquiring an additional 9,216 shares in the last quarter. Davis Selected Advisers lifted its stake in Markel Group by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 287,061 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $452,311,000 after acquiring an additional 970 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners lifted its stake in Markel Group by 36.7% during the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 214,400 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $326,124,000 after acquiring an additional 57,528 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Markel Group by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 113,556 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $178,931,000 after acquiring an additional 5,310 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in Markel Group by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 90,276 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $128,183,000 after acquiring an additional 1,775 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Shares of MKL stock traded up $38.12 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $1,603.69. 29,211 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 42,276. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,562.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,557.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,295.65 and a 52-week high of $1,670.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.66 and a beta of 0.73.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $25.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $20.76 by $5.19. Markel Group had a net margin of 13.00% and a return on equity of 11.12%. The business had revenue of $3.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.86 billion. Research analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 89.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other Markel Group news, Director Lawrence A. Cunningham acquired 20 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost 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 approximately $1,123,787.50. This represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on MKL shares. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,435.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. StockNews.com raised shares of Markel Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Markel Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,986.00 price target for the company. One equities 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 presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,626.83.

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.