KBC Group NV Reduces Holdings in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

KBC Group NV cut its position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 8.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,797 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 169 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $3,102,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SpiderRock Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Markel Group by 199.4% during the third quarter. SpiderRock Advisors LLC now owns 473 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $742,000 after acquiring an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. Versor Investments LP boosted its holdings in Markel Group by 72.4% in the third quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 381 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $598,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC grew its stake in Markel Group by 25.2% during the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 1,881 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $3,247,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Markel Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,803,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. 77.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MKL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen lowered shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $1,986.00 to $1,836.00 in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price 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. 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 research note on Friday, November 1st. Finally, StockNews.com cut Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,626.83.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MKL opened at $1,829.52 on Friday. 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 firm’s 50-day moving average price is $1,751.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,640.90. Markel Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $1,342.66 and a 52-week high of $1,842.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.44 and a beta of 0.78.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 10.86%. The company had revenue of $3.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.74 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Markel Group Inc. will post 86.92 earnings per share for the current year.

About Markel Group

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.