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MKL vs. PUK: Markel vs. Prudential Stock Comparison

How do Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK) 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

Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK) both belong to the Insurance industry, though MKL is classified under Property & Casualty Insurance while PUK falls under Life & Health Insurance.

Markel (MKL) trades as ordinary local shares, while Prudential (PUK) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK)
Profile ItemMKLPUK
NameMarkel Group Inc.Prudential plc ADR
Country/RegionUnited StatesHong Kong
GICS SectorFinancialsFinancials
GICS Industry GroupInsuranceInsurance
GICS IndustryInsuranceInsurance
GICS Sub-IndustryProperty & Casualty InsuranceLife & Health Insurance
Market Capitalization23.71 billion USD30.28 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateDecember 12, 1986June 29, 2000
Security TypeCommon StockADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

MKL
PUK
GSPC
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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK)
MetricMKLPUK
Total Return (1Y)-4.35%-7.39%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)13.21%8.09%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)8.36%-6.78%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

MKL
PUK
GSPC
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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Prudential (PUK) trades around 1.21M 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.

Risk profile metrics for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK)
MetricMKLPUK
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)18.61%29.81%
Beta (5Y)0.570.64
Max Drawdown (5Y)-28.87%-62.24%
Avg. Volume (3M)66.79K1.21M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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MKL and PUK are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK)
MetricMKLPUK
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.46-0.39
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.60-0.54

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Markel (MKL) at 9.75% and Prudential (PUK) at 18.74% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

MKL

Insurance industry group

9.75%

Max
41.68%
Q3
22.04%
Median
14.81%
MKL
9.75%
Q1
8.79%
Min
-10.66%

PUK

Insurance industry group

18.74%

Max
41.68%
Q3
22.04%
PUK
18.74%
Median
14.81%
Q1
8.79%
Min
-10.66%
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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK): A comparison of their ROE against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Prudential (PUK) at 25.49% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Markel (MKL) at 11.13%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

MKL

Insurance industry group

11.13%

Max
29.92%
Q3
17.03%
MKL
11.13%
Median
10.97%
Q1
6.21%
Min
-4.68%

PUK

Insurance industry group

25.49%

Max
29.92%
PUK
25.49%
Q3
17.03%
Median
10.97%
Q1
6.21%
Min
-4.68%
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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK): A comparison of their net margin against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Markel (MKL) in Insurance and Prudential (PUK) in Insurance, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK)
MetricMKLPUK
ROE (TTM)9.75%18.74%
ROA (TTM)2.21%1.60%
Net Margin (TTM)11.13%25.49%
Operating Margin (TTM)----
Gross Margin (TTM)----

Growth

Revenue Growth

Prudential (PUK) at 68.98% delivers above-range revenue growth, while Markel (MKL) at -2.49% falls into the bottom quartile — a wide split in revenue momentum.

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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Prudential (PUK) at 82.74% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Markel (MKL) at -15.10% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in earnings momentum.

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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK)
MetricMKLPUK
Revenue Growth (YoY)-2.49%68.98%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)11.40%--
EPS Growth (YoY)-15.10%82.74%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--61.41%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Markel (MKL) in Insurance and Prudential (PUK) 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: Markel (MKL) in Insurance and Prudential (PUK) 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

Financial strength metrics for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK)
MetricMKLPUK
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 Prudential (PUK) reports a yield of 1.10%, ranking against industry peers normally.

MKL

Insurance industry group

0.00%

Max
5.12%
Q3
2.15%
Median
0.98%
MKL
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

PUK

Insurance industry group

1.10%

Max
5.12%
Q3
2.15%
PUK
1.10%
Median
0.98%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

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 Prudential (PUK) reports a payout of 18.71%, ranking against industry peers normally.

MKL

Insurance industry group

0.00%

Max
76.67%
Q3
35.18%
Median
14.74%
MKL
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

PUK

Insurance industry group

18.71%

Max
76.67%
Q3
35.18%
PUK
18.71%
Median
14.74%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK)
MetricMKLPUK
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%1.10%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%18.71%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Prudential (PUK) at 8.72 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Markel (MKL) at 13.80 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for PUK, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

MKL

Insurance industry group

13.80

Max
28.37
Q3
18.75
MKL
13.80
Median
12.23
Q1
9.08
Min
2.32

PUK

Insurance industry group

8.72

Max
28.37
Q3
18.75
Median
12.23
Q1
9.08
PUK
8.72
Min
2.32
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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Markel (MKL) at 1.47 and Prudential (PUK) at 2.12 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

MKL

Insurance industry group

1.47

Max
4.03
Q3
2.25
MKL
1.47
Median
1.23
Q1
0.85
Min
0.07

PUK

Insurance industry group

2.12

Max
4.03
Q3
2.25
PUK
2.12
Median
1.23
Q1
0.85
Min
0.07
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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Markel (MKL) at 1.28 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Prudential (PUK) at 6.29 prices above its benchmark range — PUK looks rich relative to book.

MKL

Insurance industry group

1.28

Max
5.07
Q3
2.79
Median
1.76
MKL
1.28
Q1
1.23
Min
0.30

PUK

Insurance industry group

6.29

PUK
6.29
Max
5.07
Q3
2.79
Median
1.76
Q1
1.23
Min
0.30
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Markel (MKL) vs. Prudential (PUK): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Insurance industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Markel (MKL) and Prudential (PUK)
MetricMKLPUK
P/E Ratio (TTM)13.808.72
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.472.12
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.286.29
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)----