Bank of America Cuts W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Price Target to $66.00

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) had its price objective decreased by Bank of America from $69.00 to $66.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. Bank of America currently has a neutral rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on WRB. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $73.00 target price on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $87.00 price target on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley from $76.00 to $75.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $70.43.

W.R. Berkley Price Performance

WRB stock opened at $68.18 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $70.19 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $72.00. W.R. Berkley has a 1 year low of $58.07 and a 1 year high of $78.96. The stock has a market cap of $25.91 billion, a PE ratio of 15.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last issued 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). The firm had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. W.R. Berkley had a net margin of 12.10% and a return on equity of 18.35%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.13 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that W.R. Berkley will post 4.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.R. Berkley Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at W.R. Berkley

In other news, major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co L. Mitsui bought 370,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 acquisition, the insider owned 54,959,504 shares in the company, valued at $3,686,133,933.28. This trade represents a 0.68% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In the last quarter, insiders have bought 6,811,847 shares of company stock worth $468,372,975. 23.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WRB. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hilltop National Bank bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors own 68.82% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting W.R. Berkley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Large, strategic insider purchases by Sumitomo/Mitsui — multiple disclosed buys this week totaling roughly $69M (several blocks: 370k, 350k and 308,931 shares at ~$67/share) signal confidence from a 10%+ shareholder and add short‑term buying support. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Management reiterated a sub‑30% expense‑ratio target, flagged increased technology investments and announced ~$971M returned to shareholders (buybacks/dividends) — supports EPS leverage and capital return upside. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary on record investment income and buybacks has prompted debate that stronger profitability plus buybacks could materially change the investment case for WRB. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results: a very small EPS miss ($1.13 vs. $1.14 consensus) and revenue roughly in line — removes shock but leaves little positive surprise in the quarter; investors will watch guidance and underwriting trends. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Several sell‑side firms cut price targets (Jefferies to $70, Mizuho to $67, Wells Fargo to $66, Bank of America trimmed expectations) — signals limited near‑term upside and likely keeps downward pressure on the multiple. Read More. Read More. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts note solid underwriting but slowing growth and valuation concerns; the narrow EPS miss plus flat revenue keep upside constrained and justify mid‑$60s targets. Read More.

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.