W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Major Shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui Purchases 370,000 Shares of Stock

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui acquired 370,000 shares of W.R. Berkley stock in a transaction on Monday, January 26th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $67.07 per share, with a total value of $24,815,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 54,959,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,686,133,933.28. This trade represents a 0.68% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

W.R. Berkley Price Performance

Shares of WRB opened at $67.67 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.72 billion, a PE ratio of 15.21, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The company’s 50-day moving average is $70.37 and its 200-day moving average is $72.02. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $58.07 and a fifty-two week high of $78.96.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, January 26th. The insurance provider reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by ($0.01). W.R. Berkley had a net margin of 12.10% and a return on equity of 18.35%. The company had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.18 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.13 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.33 EPS for the current year.

W.R. Berkley Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.09%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley during the third quarter valued at $682,816,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in W.R. Berkley during the 2nd quarter worth about $367,921,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of W.R. Berkley by 6,503.1% in the second quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,561,230 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $188,174,000 after buying an additional 2,601,230 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 33.4% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,892,799 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $374,886,000 after acquiring an additional 1,224,363 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of W.R. Berkley by 21.5% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,711,425 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $284,350,000 after acquiring an additional 657,558 shares during the period. 68.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley from $69.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets cut shares of W.R. Berkley from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $64.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on W.R. Berkley from $68.00 to $66.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Evercore ISI set a $69.00 price objective on W.R. Berkley and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $70.43.

Key W.R. Berkley News

Here are the key news stories impacting W.R. Berkley this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company reaffirmed a sub‑30% expense‑ratio target while signaling increased technology investments and returning $971M to shareholders (buybacks/dividends), supporting earnings power and capital allocation. W. R. Berkley signals increased technology investments and affirms sub‑30% expense ratio target while returning $971M to shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted solid full‑year growth and record investment income that offset a modest Q4 operational miss, providing some upside to underwriting results and investment‑driven EPS. W. R. Berkley Balances Record Earnings With Market Risks
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 call/transcript shows a very small EPS miss (reported $1.13 vs. $1.14 consensus, ~‑$0.01) and revenues roughly in line; that reduces immediate shock but leaves little positive surprise in the quarter. W R Berkley (WRB) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst write‑ups note “solid underwriting” and structural strength but flag slowing growth and valuation concerns — useful context for longer‑term investors but not an immediate operational change. W.R. Berkley: Solid Q4 But Structurally Expensive
• Negative Sentiment: Several sell‑side firms cut price targets and kept neutral/hold opinions (Jefferies, Wells Fargo, Mizuho, Bank of America), signaling limited near‑term upside and contributing downward pressure on the stock. W. R. Berkley: Solid Underwriting but Slowing Growth and Limited Upside Justify Neutral (Hold) Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction is also reflecting a narrow EPS miss and flat revenue trend in the quarter — these keep valuation multiple under pressure (analysts trimmed targets to mid‑$60s). W.R. Berkley Q4 Earnings Miss Estimate, Revenues Up Y/Y

W.R. Berkley Company Profile

W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) is a publicly traded insurance holding company that underwrites and sells commercial property and casualty insurance, specialty insurance products, and reinsurance. Headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, the company operates a portfolio of underwriting businesses that focus on niche and specialty commercial risks, offering coverage tailored to industries such as transportation, construction, professional services and other commercial lines.

The company’s product mix includes primary and excess casualty, property, professional liability, environmental and other specialty lines, together with treaty and facultative reinsurance solutions.