Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) Sets New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $1,742.91 and last traded at $1,738.02, with a volume of 4760 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,718.45.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on MKL shares. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Markel Group from $1,700.00 to $1,675.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 1st. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Markel Group from $1,590.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,651.83.

Markel Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,597.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,586.58. The stock has a market cap of $22.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.07 and a beta of 0.73.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $17.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $21.97 by ($4.63). The business 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 forecast that Markel Group Inc. will post 88.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Markel Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MKL. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in Markel Group in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp raised its position in shares of Markel Group by 1,000.0% during the third quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 22 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Markel Group in the third quarter valued at about $36,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in Markel Group by 833.3% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 28 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in Markel Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

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.