Tom Gayner Says 2012 Was Phenomenal, Alterra Was Great Buy

Markel Corporation (NYSE:MKL) was busy with profits and acquisitions in the last fiscal year. The most notable buys from Markel in 2012 were, Thompson Insurance Enterprises, Essentia Insurance Company. Additionally, Tom Gayner’s insurance company announced that it was buying Alterra Capital Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:ALTE). On the investment side, Markel returned 20 percent on its equity holdings and 5 percent on fixed income portfolio, which overall generated a return of 9 percent for 2012. Markel has averaged a 10 percent return on its investment portfolio over the last twenty years versus an 8 percent return for S&P 500 index over the same period….