W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Major Shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui Buys 308,931 Shares

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui purchased 308,931 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $67.61 per share, with a total value of $20,886,824.91. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 55,618,435 shares in the company, valued at $3,760,362,390.35. The trade was a 0.56% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Large 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 Price Performance

Shares of WRB traded up $0.44 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $67.67. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,990,048 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,389,963. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $58.07 and a fifty-two week high of $78.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.21, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.39. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $70.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37.

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

W.R. Berkley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.09 per share. 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 payout ratio is 8.09%.

More 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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on WRB. Evercore ISI set a $69.00 price objective on W.R. Berkley and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their price target on shares of W.R. Berkley from $78.00 to $76.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted 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. Truist Financial set a $80.00 target price on W.R. Berkley and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered W.R. Berkley from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $64.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $70.43.

Institutional Trading of W.R. Berkley

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WRB. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund increased its holdings in shares of W.R. Berkley by 8.9% during the third quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 202,243 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $15,496,000 after buying an additional 16,450 shares in the last quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $553,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. grew its position in W.R. Berkley by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 737,183 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $54,161,000 after acquiring an additional 4,423 shares during the last quarter. American Trust acquired a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,847,000. Finally, Tema Etfs LLC bought a new position in W.R. Berkley in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,519,000. 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.