Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Shares Sold by Prudential Financial Inc.

Prudential Financial Inc. reduced its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 7.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 564 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 47 shares during the quarter. Prudential Financial Inc.’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $974,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Markel Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Quarry LP increased its position in shares of Markel Group by 3,000.0% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 31 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Shares of MKL opened at $1,678.42 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,865.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,740.63. The firm has a market cap of $21.43 billion, a PE ratio of 8.43 and a beta of 0.70. Markel Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $1,417.65 and a 12-month high of $2,063.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $20.66 by ($0.15). Markel Group had a return on equity of 7.55% and a net margin of 16.34%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, for a total transaction of $200,801.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This represents a 0.20 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,856.80, for a total transaction of $1,485,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 64,868 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $120,446,902.40. This trade represents a 1.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,702.20.

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.