Davis Asset Management L.P. Has $49.70 Million Stock Position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL)

Davis Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 16.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,000 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 5,000 shares during the quarter. Markel Group comprises approximately 2.0% of Davis Asset Management L.P.’s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest position. Davis Asset Management L.P.’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $49,696,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Hudson Value Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Markel Group by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Hudson Value Partners LLC now owns 2,883 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $4,094,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. FineMark National Bank & Trust increased its position in Markel Group by 12.9% during the fourth quarter. FineMark National Bank & Trust now owns 271 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $385,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. Commerce Bank increased its position in Markel Group by 108.9% during the fourth quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 1,356 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,925,000 after acquiring an additional 707 shares during the period. Pzena Investment Management LLC increased its position in Markel Group by 48.4% during the fourth quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 227 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $322,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Finally, Quest Partners LLC bought a new position in Markel Group during the fourth quarter worth $390,000. 77.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $1,414.74 per share, for a total transaction of $141,474.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 45,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $63,718,474.86. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner bought 100 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $1,414.74 per share, for a total transaction of $141,474.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 45,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $63,718,474.86. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director A. Lynne Puckett bought 72 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $1,409.28 per share, for a total transaction of $101,468.16. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,352,908.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Markel Group Stock Performance

Markel Group stock traded up $101.46 on Thursday, hitting $1,577.80. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 111,720 shares, compared to its average volume of 48,961. The firm has a market cap of $20.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.66 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $1,483.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,444.07. Markel Group Inc. has a one year low of $1,295.65 and a one year high of $1,581.04.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The insurance provider reported $56.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $23.58 by $32.90. Markel Group had a net margin of 12.63% and a return on equity of 11.22%. The firm had revenue of $3.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.75 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 80.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,475.00 target price on shares of Markel Group in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Janney Montgomery Scott reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,600.00 target price on shares of Markel Group in a research report on Friday, March 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $1,680.00 to $1,500.00 in a research report on Monday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,450.00.

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.