Buyback yield (TTM)
6.61%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
6.70%
5Y share count change
-7.9%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$1.42B
Cumulative buybacks
$2.67B
Key takeaways
- Markel (MKL) repurchased about $1.42B of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 7.9% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +74.1% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 66% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for Markel (MKL)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for Markel (MKL)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for Markel (MKL)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for Markel (MKL)
Latest: $429.52M
Overview
The 2025 reading of Markel (MKL) buyback spend is $429.52M – declined 25.0% year-over-year.
Looking at the 2020–2025 (5 years) stretch, Markel buyback spend compounded at +74.1% per year, with mixed annual results across the window.
Markel buyback spend declined from $572.73M in 2024 to $429.52M in 2025, a 25.0% drawdown.
$572.73M stands as the all-time-high annual buyback spend, posted in 2024, against a low of $0.00 during 1989.
Markel Buyback Spend 2025: $429.52M
2025's buyback spend for Markel came in at $429.52M, declined 25.0% below 2024.
Markel Buyback Spend 2024: $572.73M
Markel posted buyback spend of $572.73M in 2024, grew 28.6% from 2023. This figure represents the highest annual value in the available history.
Markel Buyback Spend 2023: $445.48M
In 2023, Markel reported buyback spend of $445.48M, surged 53.2% from 2022.
Markel Buyback Spend 2022: $290.80M
Markel buyback spend in 2022 was $290.80M, surged 40.8% from 2021.
Markel Buyback Spend 2021: $206.52M
Markel buyback spend in 2021 was $206.52M.
See more financial history for Markel (MKL).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $429.52M | $0.00 | $429.52M | 1.70% | 0.01B | -2.4% | |
| 2024 | $572.73M | $0.00 | $572.73M | 2.57% | 0.01B | -2.5% | |
| 2023 | $445.48M | $0.00 | $445.48M | 2.37% | 0.01B | -1.5% | |
| 2022 | $290.80M | $0.00 | $290.80M | 1.64% | 0.01B | -1.6% | |
| 2021 | $206.52M | $0.00 | $206.52M | 1.22% | 0.01B | -0.2% | |
| 2020 | $26.83M | $0.00 | $26.83M | 0.19% | 0.01B | -0.4% | |
| 2019 | $116.31M | $0.00 | $116.31M | 0.74% | 0.01B | -0.3% | |
| 2018 | $54.01M | $0.00 | $54.01M | 0.37% | 0.01B | -0.6% | |
| 2017 | $110.84M | $11.90M | $98.94M | 0.70% | 0.01B | -0.5% | |
| 2016 | $51.14M | $14.30M | $36.84M | 0.40% | 0.01B | +0.1% | |
| 2015 | $31.49M | $16.30M | $15.19M | 0.25% | 0.01B | +0.0% | |
| 2014 | $26.05M | $18.70M | $7.35M | 0.27% | 0.01B | +11.7% | |
| 2013 | $57.39M | $18.40M | $38.99M | 0.71% | 0.01B | +28.9% | |
| 2012 | $16.87M | $4.40M | $12.47M | 0.43% | 0.01B | +0.4% | |
| 2011 | $42.91M | $0.00 | $42.91M | 1.08% | 0.01B | -0.6% | |
| 2010 | $45.22M | $0.00 | $45.22M | 1.23% | 0.01B | -0.4% | |
| 2009 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.01B | +0.1% | |
| 2008 | $60.60M | $0.00 | $60.60M | 2.07% | 0.01B | -1.7% | |
| 2007 | $24.21M | $0.00 | $24.21M | 0.50% | 0.01B | +0.2% | |
| 2006 | $45.88M | $0.00 | $45.88M | 0.98% | 0.01B | -0.3% | |
| 2005 | $15.93M | $0.00 | $15.93M | 0.52% | 0.01B | -0.9% | |
| 2004 | $3.38M | $0.00 | $3.38M | 0.09% | 0.01B | +0.5% | |
| 2003 | $4.00K | $0.00 | $4.00K | 0.00% | 0.01B | +1.9% | |
| 2002 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.01B | +15.4% | |
| 2001 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.01B | +23.4% | |
| 2000 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.01B | +22.6% | |
| 1999 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.01B | +0.1% | |
| 1998 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.01B | -0.3% | |
| 1997 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.01B | +0.4% | |
| 1996 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.01B | — | |
| 1995 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — |
- 2025$429.52M
- 2024$572.73M
- 2023$445.48M
- 2022$290.80M
- 2021$206.52M
- 2020$26.83M
- 2019$116.31M
- 2018$54.01M
- 2017$110.84M
- 2016$51.14M
- 2015$31.49M
- 2014$26.05M
- 2013$57.39M
- 2012$16.87M
- 2011$42.91M
- 2010$45.22M
- 2009$0.00
- 2008$60.60M
- 2007$24.21M
- 2006$45.88M
- 2005$15.93M
- 2004$3.38M
- 2003$4.00K
- 2002$0.00
- 2001$0.00
- 2000$0.00
- 1999$0.00
- 1998$0.00
- 1997$0.00
- 1996$0.00
- 1995$0.00
- 1994$0.00
- 1993$0.00
- 1992$0.00
- 1991$0.00
- 1990$0.00
- 1989$0.00
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for Markel (MKL)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: N/A.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for Markel (MKL)
How Markel splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as Markel, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $34.59B | |
| $21.43B | |
| $19.52B | |
| $13.39B | |
| $12.36B | |
| $11.73B | |
| $5.83B | |
| $0.00 |
- $34.59B
- $21.43B
- $19.52B
- $13.39B
- $12.36B
- $11.73B
- $5.83B
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $2.17B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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