Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) Shares Sold by Pictet Asset Management Holding SA

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA trimmed its position in shares of Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL) by 4.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 5,372 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 243 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Markel Group were worth $9,273,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Markel Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Markel Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Markel Group during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Markel Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Quarry LP raised its holdings in Markel Group by 3,000.0% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 31 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. 77.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Markel Group Price Performance

Shares of MKL stock opened at $1,880.79 on Thursday. Markel Group Inc. has a twelve month low of $1,417.65 and a twelve month high of $2,063.68. The company has a market capitalization of $24.02 billion, a PE ratio of 9.45 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,870.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,735.98.

Markel Group (NYSE:MKL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $20.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $20.66 by ($0.15). Markel Group had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 7.55%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Markel Group Inc. will post 96.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Markel Group

In related news, CEO Thomas Sinnickson Gayner acquired 100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $2,008.01 per share, with a total value of $200,801.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,282,049.45. The trade was a 0.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 88 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,860.03, for a total transaction of $163,682.64. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 63,436 shares in the company, valued at $117,992,863.08. The trade was a 0.14 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 2,034 shares of company stock worth $3,778,952 in the last 90 days. 1.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. 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 cut shares of Markel Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,702.20.

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.