Investment Q&A

Q: Would you invest in Markel as a long term hold?
How does it compare to Fairfax?

Q: Are there a few Canadian and/or US companies that are “hiding in plain sight” that have the potential to be long term compounders similar to a CSU, MKL, ROP etc?

Q: What 10 businesses either in Canada and/or the US do you think exhibit these traits other than Constellation Software?

Strong capital allocators and quality asset managers
Strong insider ownership
Exceptional business models
Compound capital over a long period of time
Consistent earnings Growth

Thanks!

Q: I thought that I had asked this question before, but I went through 6 web pages of "My Questions" and came up empty.

What would you say is the "most" CSU-like stock in the US? Thanks again!

Q: Your thought on selling Power Corp to buy MKL or BRK.B in TFSA for growth.
Thank you!

Q: Which company do you believe shows better growth over the long term?
Thanks

Q: I have accumulated far to many Insurance stocks over the years and need to trim a couple. Which of the above companies do you think offer the best capital appreciation over the long term?
Thanks

Q: I have been and continue to be a believer in BRK and have no concern about succession plans there. Although BRK’s performance has been dull in the past ten years, I am aware that a value style has done very poorly compared to a growth orientation. My holdings in BRKb represent an appropriate allocation and I will not make changes there. I reviewed Markel after I saw it included in “RBC Top Global Ideas for 3Q-2020” .
I reviewed both BRK and MKL and found:

Over 10 years MKL has beaten both BRK and S&P (BRK did not beat S&P in the past 10 years.
Over 5 years BRK beat MKL but not S&P
Over 3 years S&P beat both companies
Over 1 year S&P beat both companies

I have reviewed a past question and am looking for an update. Would your deep look at MKL prompt you to rate this a buy? Some regard it as a “mini Berkshire” . Based on the holdings would you agree? Would you give it a higher grade than BRKb in terms of price appreciation over the next 3 years?

I tend to buy on noticeable dips. IF you would rate MKL a buy, what would you consider a reasonable entry price?

Q: I have commenced making tiny purchases of this stock as significant drops continue. May I have your views upon this company and the wisdom of this strategy. Thank you.

Q: Curious to hear your thoughts on starting a position in Markel (about a 3% position). The stock has got beaten up lately and from what I've read some of this weakness seems to be from the Equities they hold being down with the rest of the market when they reported earnings last. Many of these have recovered well. It looks like a good US stock for a TFSA because it doesn't pay a dividend. Planning to hold for 15+ years.

Q: I currently hold Markel (MKL) for some conservative balance to my portfolio, and I have (had) high hopes as it's commonly called a 'mini Berkshire' and hey, it's insurance they always win... While my position is still up, it's underperformed relative to my expectations. Further, I'm increasingly anxious about how extreme weather events (read climate change - fires, hurricanes, floods) will effect the insurance business.

In light of the above, I have two questions:
1. How do you feel about MKL, and;
2. Can you recommend an insurance company that is less exposed to property and more exposed to life insurance, travel insurance, or other?

Best.

Q: Hello Peter,
What do you think of Markel Corp as an investment? Do you think it is buyable at the current price? Thank you.

Q: Hi 5i,
I don’t think you have ever been asked about this one and it isn’t a name that comes up every day in the media but how do you think Markel Corp (MKL) looks right now? Aside from it being beaten down like everything else in the financial crisis, a very long term chart shows it to have been a remarkably good buy & hold stock up to this point. Thanks!