MKL vs TOST Comparison

Markel's primary business is property and casualty insurance. The company focuses primarily on specialty lines, ranging from areas such as executive liability to commercial equine insurance. The acquisition of Alterra in 2013 added substantial reinsurance operations, which now account for a little less than 15% of premiums. The company uses capital generated by its insurance operations to buy noninsurance operations in diverse areas, such as bakery equipment manufacturing and residential homebuilding.

Toast is a us-based restaurant technology company that provides point-of-sale, payment processing, and various software services to 120,000 restaurant locations across the United States at the end of June 2024. The firm generates sales from software subscription fees, as a percentage take rate from each financial transaction it processes, from loan origination and servicing fees from its Toast Capital arm, and from hardware installation and professional services. Unlike competitors, Toast intermediates every payment transaction on its platform, processing some $126 billion in gross platform volume in 2023. The firm's product offerings span point-of-sale systems, inventory and payroll management, delivery integration, e-commerce ordering, reservation management, and loyalty programs.