StockNews.com Downgrades Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) to Hold

StockNews.com lowered shares of Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Friday morning.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup increased their price target on Markel Group from $1,435.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on 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, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,651.83.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Shares of MKL opened at $1,706.27 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market cap of $21.94 billion, a PE ratio of 7.88 and a beta of 0.73. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,581.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,582.24. Markel Group has a 12-month low of $1,342.66 and a 12-month high of $1,733.58.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its earnings results 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 return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 17.03%. The business had revenue of $3.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.74 billion. As a group, equities analysts predict that Markel Group will post 89.27 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Markel Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MKL. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp raised its stake in shares of Markel Group by 1,000.0% during the 3rd quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 22 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of Markel Group by 833.3% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 28 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group during the 2nd quarter worth $45,000. 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.