W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Major Shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui Purchases 195,000 Shares of Stock

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui purchased 195,000 shares of W.R. Berkley stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 8th. The shares were bought at an average price of $70.16 per share, for a total transaction of $13,681,200.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 51,640,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,623,094,884.08. This trade represents a 0.38% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Large shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

Shares of WRB opened at $68.45 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $72.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $72.33. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $26.01 billion, a PE ratio of 14.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.39. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a one year low of $55.97 and a one year high of $78.96.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last announced its earnings results on Monday, October 20th. The insurance provider reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.03. W.R. Berkley had a return on equity of 18.86% and a net margin of 13.01%.The firm had revenue of $3.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.93 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.R. Berkley Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 is currently 7.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on WRB shares. 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 note on Tuesday. Wolfe Research started coverage on W.R. Berkley in a research report on Monday, September 15th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Truist Financial set a $84.00 price target on W.R. Berkley and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $66.00 price objective on W.R. Berkley and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $87.00 target price on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $72.87.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Hilltop National Bank bought a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley in the second quarter worth $27,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in W.R. Berkley in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in W.R. Berkley in the third quarter worth about $35,000. Institutional investors own 68.82% of the company’s stock.

W.R. Berkley News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major shareholder Sumitomo (a >10% holder) has been buying materially—multiple purchases Jan. 5–9 totaling roughly 671k shares—signaling confidence from a large, strategic investor and providing steady demand. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: The board increased the share repurchase authorization to 25 million shares, which supports buyback-driven EPS/book‑value accretion expectations and likely lifted sentiment among income/capital-return focused holders. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts/shops remain constructive — e.g., Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target — helping offset negative notes and giving investors a visible upside case. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: W.R. Berkley set its Q4 and full‑year 2025 earnings release for Jan. 26 (after‑market) with a conference call — this is a clear near‑term catalyst that could swing the stock either way. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Evercore ISI downgraded WRB to “underperform” citing EPS pressure and set a ~$69 target — high‑profile downgrades can trigger selling or reduce conviction among momentum investors. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America and other shops have trimmed targets or maintained cautious stances, adding to mixed analyst sentiment and limiting upside from current levels. 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.