Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Takes Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 3,558 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $6,142,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MKL. Quilter Plc increased its position in Markel Group by 7.2% during the fourth quarter. Quilter Plc now owns 33,139 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $57,206,000 after purchasing an additional 2,234 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC increased its position in Markel Group by 25.2% during the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 1,881 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,247,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $252,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Markel Group by 10.4% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,571 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $8,736,000 after purchasing an additional 527 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Korea Investment CORP increased its position in Markel Group by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 8,247 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $14,236,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Markel Group

In other news, Director Steven A. Markel sold 800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,856.80, for a total transaction of $1,485,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 64,868 shares in the company, valued at approximately $120,446,902.40. This trade represents a 1.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders sold 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on MKL shares. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Markel Group from $1,750.00 to $2,025.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,727.75.

Markel Group Stock Up 1.2%

MKL stock opened at $1,903.48 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Markel Group Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $1,491.03 and a fifty-two week high of $2,063.68. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,821.38 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,781.10. The stock has a market cap of $24.15 billion, a PE ratio of 9.56 and a beta of 0.84.

Markel Group 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.