Everence Capital Management Inc. Invests $1.24 Million in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Everence Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 720 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,243,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 25.0% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 55 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division acquired a new position in Markel Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $207,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Markel Group by 29.0% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 24,906 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $39,067,000 after buying an additional 5,595 shares during the period. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas acquired a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the third quarter worth $3,125,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in shares of Markel Group by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,571 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $8,736,000 after acquiring an additional 527 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Markel Group Price Performance

MKL stock opened at $1,713.08 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $22.03 billion, a PE ratio of 7.90 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $1,700.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,613.76. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,342.66 and a 52-week high of $1,809.11.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $17.34 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $21.97 by ($4.63). The company had revenue of $3.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.74 billion. Markel Group had a net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 10.86%. Analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 86.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MKL shares. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,590.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. StockNews.com raised Markel Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 30th. TD Cowen cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,700.00 to $1,675.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock 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.