Tower Research Capital LLC TRC Boosts Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 435.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,006 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 818 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $1,737,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Markel Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $254,795,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Markel Group in the 4th quarter valued at $169,852,000. Davis Selected Advisers grew its position in shares of Markel Group by 27.9% during the 4th quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 370,522 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $639,606,000 after purchasing an additional 80,922 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Markel Group in the fourth quarter worth $98,743,000. Finally, Boston Partners raised its position in shares of Markel Group by 17.6% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 281,820 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $486,580,000 after buying an additional 42,178 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner purchased 100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, with a total value of $200,801.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. This trade represents a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,856.80, for a total value 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. The trade was a 1.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,034 shares of company stock valued at $3,778,952. Insiders own 1.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on 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 cut shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,702.20.

Markel Group Price Performance

MKL opened at $1,789.04 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $22.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.99 and a beta of 0.70. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1,829.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,754.99. Markel Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $1,433.06 and a 12-month high of $2,063.68.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last issued its earnings results 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%. Equities analysts predict that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.