W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Announces Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.01 EPS

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday. The insurance provider reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.14 by ($0.01), Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. W.R. Berkley had a return on equity of 18.35% and a net margin of 12.10%.The company’s revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.13 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from W.R. Berkley’s conference call:

• Record 2025 financial results: Q4 operating earnings were $450M ($1.13/share) and full-year net income was $1.8B, delivering a 21.4% return on beginning-of-year equity and strong operating cash flow ($3.6B for 2025).
• Underwriting strength and efficiency: Record quarterly pre-tax underwriting income, a current accident‑year combined ratio ex‑cats of 87.9% (calendar year 89.4%) and an improved expense ratio of 28.2% with guidance to remain comfortably below 30% in 2026.
• Capital returns and balance‑sheet flexibility: Management returned $971M to shareholders in 2025 (including $608M in Q4), retains a historically low financial leverage ratio of 22.6%, and says buybacks/dividends will remain opportunistic.
• Investments and portfolio positioning: Invested assets rose 11.4% to $33.2B with fixed-maturity income up quarter-over-quarter, duration extended to ~3 years and credit quality AA‑, but results included $32M of investment fund losses driven by one disappointing fund.
• Market headwinds and line‑specific pressure: Persistent weakness in auto liability, intense competition in large account property/reinsurance (notably a 19% risk‑adjusted rate decrease on its main cat treaty) and pressure in some professional lines (D&O, A&E) raise near‑term underwriting risk and could spill into casualty markets.

W.R. Berkley Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WRB opened at $67.33 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $25.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.13, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.39. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $70.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $72.06. W.R. Berkley has a 12 month low of $58.07 and a 12 month high of $78.96.

W.R. Berkley Announces Dividend

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

W.R. Berkley News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company reported full‑year growth, strong underwriting and record investment income and highlighted operating improvement in the quarter — supports earnings durability. W. R. Berkley Corporation Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management is returning meaningful capital to shareholders — announced ~$971M returned (buybacks/dividends), a direct positive for EPS and shareholder value. W R Berkley signals increased technology investments and affirms sub-30% expense ratio target while returning $971M to shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: Insiders/major shareholders bought material stock this week (reports of ~ $22.3M and $24.6M purchases), which can signal confidence from insiders and underpin the share price. W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Major Shareholder Buys $22,258,500.00 in Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly revenue was roughly in line (~$3.18B, +2.1% y/y) while EPS missed by $0.01 (reported $1.13 vs. $1.14 estimate) — small miss reduces upside but is not a large operational setback. W.R. Berkley Q4 Earnings Miss Estimate, Revenues Up Y/Y
• Neutral Sentiment: Management signaled continued investment in technology and reiterated a sub‑30% expense ratio target — suggests focus on long‑term efficiency but may keep near‑term expense sensitivity. W. R. Berkley Corporation (WRB) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple sell‑side analysts lowered price targets (Jefferies, Wells Fargo, Mizuho, Bank of America) and maintained Hold/Neutral ratings — reduces near‑term analyst upside and may cap the stock. Analyst price target coverage (Benzinga links)
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary frames the stock as “structurally expensive” and notes slowing growth, which supports cautious analyst stances and could limit multiple expansion. W.R. Berkley: Solid Q4 But Structurally Expensive

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WRB. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $87.00 price target on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Friday, November 7th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on W.R. Berkley from $69.00 to $67.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on W.R. Berkley from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $80.00 target price on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Tuesday. Three research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $70.57.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.R. Berkley

In other W.R. Berkley news, major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co L. Mitsui bought 368,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $66.96 per share, for a total transaction of $24,641,280.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 54,589,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,655,313,187.84. The trade was a 0.68% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders have bought a total of 5,782,916 shares of company stock valued at $399,073,250 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 23.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC lifted its position in W.R. Berkley by 691.9% in the second quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC now owns 586 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 512 shares during the last quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA lifted its stake in W.R. Berkley by 62.2% during the third quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 600 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in W.R. Berkley by 22.3% during the 3rd quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 756 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the period. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the second quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.82% of the company’s stock.

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.