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

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

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

Shares of WRB stock traded up $0.44 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $67.67. The company had a trading volume of 1,990,048 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,389,963. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $70.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $72.02. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a one year low of $58.07 and a one year high of $78.96. 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 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.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last posted its earnings results on Monday, January 26th. The insurance provider reported $1.13 earnings per share (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 analyst estimates 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 quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.13 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.33 earnings per share for the current year.

W.R. Berkley Announces Dividend

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 $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.09%.

Key Stories Impacting W.R. Berkley

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

Institutional Trading of W.R. Berkley

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on WRB shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley from $75.00 to $70.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $64.00 target price (down from $73.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $73.00 price target on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered W.R. Berkley from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $64.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $70.43.

About W.R. Berkley

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.