Ensign Peak Advisors Inc Buys 385 Shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Ensign Peak Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 7.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 5,747 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 385 shares during the period. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $9,055,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Watchman Group Inc. lifted its stake in Markel Group by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Watchman Group Inc. now owns 2,355 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $3,344,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares during the last quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Markel Group by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 326 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $496,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares during the last quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLC raised its stake in Markel Group by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLC now owns 240 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $362,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares during the period. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Markel Group by 4.6% during the second quarter. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Equitable Trust Co. boosted its position in Markel Group by 4.5% during the first quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 209 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $318,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the period. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Markel Group stock opened at $1,572.16 on Wednesday. Markel Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,295.65 and a 1-year high of $1,670.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.44 billion, a PE ratio of 8.49 and a beta of 0.73. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,564.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,554.66.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $25.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $20.76 by $5.19. Markel Group had a return on equity of 11.12% and a net margin of 13.00%. The company had revenue of $3.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.86 billion. As a group, analysts expect that Markel Group Inc. will post 89.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on MKL shares. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,435.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. TD Cowen assumed coverage on Markel Group in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,986.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Markel Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,626.83.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Lawrence A. Cunningham bought 20 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $1,512.50 per share, with a total value of $30,250.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 743 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,123,787.50. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.71% of the company’s stock.

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.