BRO vs. MKL: Brown & Brown vs. Markel Stock Comparison
How do Brown & Brown (BRO) and Markel (MKL) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Brown & Brown (BRO) and Markel (MKL) both belong to the Insurance industry, though BRO is classified under Insurance Brokers while MKL falls under Property & Casualty Insurance.
| Profile Item | BRO | MKL |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Brown & Brown Inc. | Markel Group Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Insurance | Insurance |
| GICS Industry | Insurance | Insurance |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Insurance Brokers | Property & Casualty Insurance |
| Market Capitalization | 23.92 billion USD | 23.71 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 11, 1981 | December 12, 1986 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BRO | MKL |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -8.59% | -4.35% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 0.40% | 13.21% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 3.19% | 8.36% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Brown & Brown (BRO) trades around 2.25M shares per day on average, while Markel (MKL) sees only 66.79K — a volume gap that can matter for position sizing, exit liquidity, and order execution.
| Metric | BRO | MKL |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 32.50% | 18.61% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.51 | 0.57 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -55.85% | -28.87% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.25M | 66.79K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BRO | MKL |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.40 | -0.46 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.57 | -0.60 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Brown & Brown (BRO) at 9.80% and Markel (MKL) at 9.75% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
BRO
Insurance industry group
9.80%
- Max
- 41.68%
- Q3
- 22.04%
- Median
- 14.81%
- BRO
- 9.80%
- Q1
- 8.79%
- Min
- -10.66%
MKL
Insurance industry group
9.75%
- Max
- 41.68%
- Q3
- 22.04%
- Median
- 14.81%
- MKL
- 9.75%
- Q1
- 8.79%
- Min
- -10.66%
Net Margin (TTM)
Brown & Brown (BRO) at 17.88% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Markel (MKL) at 11.13%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
BRO
Insurance industry group
17.88%
- Max
- 29.92%
- BRO
- 17.88%
- Q3
- 17.03%
- Median
- 10.97%
- Q1
- 6.21%
- Min
- -4.68%
MKL
Insurance industry group
11.13%
- Max
- 29.92%
- Q3
- 17.03%
- MKL
- 11.13%
- Median
- 10.97%
- Q1
- 6.21%
- Min
- -4.68%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Brown & Brown (BRO) in Insurance and Markel (MKL) in Insurance, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BRO | MKL |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 9.80% | 9.75% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.89% | 2.21% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 17.88% | 11.13% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Brown & Brown (BRO) at 22.49% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Markel (MKL) at -2.49% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
Brown & Brown (BRO) at -8.67% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Markel (MKL) at -15.10% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BRO | MKL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 22.49% | -2.49% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 17.38% | 11.40% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -8.67% | -15.10% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.06% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Brown & Brown (BRO) in Insurance and Markel (MKL) in Insurance both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Brown & Brown (BRO) in Insurance and Markel (MKL) in Insurance run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BRO | MKL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Markel (MKL) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Brown & Brown (BRO) reports a yield of 0.89%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRO
Insurance industry group
0.89%
- Max
- 5.12%
- Q3
- 2.15%
- Median
- 0.98%
- BRO
- 0.89%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MKL
Insurance industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 5.12%
- Q3
- 2.15%
- Median
- 0.98%
- MKL
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Markel (MKL) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Brown & Brown (BRO) reports a payout of 20.89%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BRO
Insurance industry group
20.89%
- Max
- 76.67%
- Q3
- 35.18%
- BRO
- 20.89%
- Median
- 14.74%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MKL
Insurance industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 76.67%
- Q3
- 35.18%
- Median
- 14.74%
- MKL
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BRO | MKL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.89% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 20.89% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Markel (MKL) at 13.80 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Brown & Brown (BRO) at 22.82 sits in the richer quartile — BRO needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
BRO
Insurance industry group
22.82
- Max
- 28.37
- BRO
- 22.82
- Q3
- 18.75
- Median
- 12.23
- Q1
- 9.08
- Min
- 2.32
MKL
Insurance industry group
13.80
- Max
- 28.37
- Q3
- 18.75
- MKL
- 13.80
- Median
- 12.23
- Q1
- 9.08
- Min
- 2.32
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Markel (MKL) at 1.47 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Brown & Brown (BRO) at 3.51 sits in the pricier quartile — BRO costs more per dollar of sales.
BRO
Insurance industry group
3.51
- Max
- 4.03
- BRO
- 3.51
- Q3
- 2.25
- Median
- 1.23
- Q1
- 0.85
- Min
- 0.07
MKL
Insurance industry group
1.47
- Max
- 4.03
- Q3
- 2.25
- MKL
- 1.47
- Median
- 1.23
- Q1
- 0.85
- Min
- 0.07
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Brown & Brown (BRO) at 1.87 and Markel (MKL) at 1.28 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
BRO
Insurance industry group
1.87
- Max
- 5.07
- Q3
- 2.79
- BRO
- 1.87
- Median
- 1.76
- Q1
- 1.23
- Min
- 0.30
MKL
Insurance industry group
1.28
- Max
- 5.07
- Q3
- 2.79
- Median
- 1.76
- MKL
- 1.28
- Q1
- 1.23
- Min
- 0.30
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRO | MKL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 22.82 | 13.80 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.51 | 1.47 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.87 | 1.28 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |