Markel Acquires RD Holdings

[Parsad]

Markel Ventures has bought retail intelligence company RD Holdings.  I guess no better time than when other intelligence companies and experts are being indicted!  ;D  Cheers!

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Markel-Announces-RD-Holdings-prnews-1486289676.html?x=0&.v=1

[Partner24]

That part of Markel is growing. They first bought a business in bakery equipment and bought shares in a privately owned local  financial services company few years ago. Then, for some time, they were quite quiet, waiting for better prices. But since a year or so, you see some news like that from time to time. Block after block, Markel is diversifying it's streams of cash flows.

 

Cheers!

[Parsad]

Yup!  Smart guys, good guys...ethical guys.  Love'em!  Cheers!

[Guest dealraker]

Parsad,

 

You should (throwing out the should's?  Yes I am!) write more about Markel from time to time.  I've been a shareholder for a long, long time but because of valuation (not today's valuation but for many years) I sort of "just didn't think about it."  But today's valuation, or just recently, isn't awful so...

 

I used to think I knew a lot about the business other than the basic business model (of investments to equity, long tail float, etc.) but that's long gone now.

[Parsad]

I've followed Markel for nearly as long as I've owned Fairfax, and used to attend their meetings every year in Omaha.  I've never owned Markel shares though until a few months ago.  We bought just barely above book value, and I'm happier owning it than Biglari Holdings!  It should trade around 1.3-1.6 times book, so we expect it to go up some more.  Cheers!

[jeffmori7]

Another acquisition for Markel Venture.

 

It's interesting how they seem to be growing this division faster than before.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Markel-Announces-Diamond-prnews-1484232588.html?x=0&.v=1