WDS vs MKL Comparison

Incorporated in 1954 and named after the small Victorian town of Woodside, Woodside's early exploration focus moved from Victoria's Gippsland Basin to Western Australia's Carnarvon Basin. First LNG production from the North West Shelf came in 1984. BHP Billiton and Shell each had 40% shareholdings before BHP sold out in 1994 and Shell sold down to 34%. In 2017 Shell sold its entire shareholding. Woodside is one of the most LNG-leveraged companies globally.

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 over 10% 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.