Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui Acquires 220,000 Shares of W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Stock

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui acquired 220,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 24th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $70.51 per share, for a total transaction of $15,512,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 49,666,511 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,501,985,690.61. This represents a 0.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

NYSE:WRB opened at $70.73 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $73.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.37. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a 12-month low of $55.97 and a 12-month high of $78.96. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 20th. The insurance provider reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $3.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.16 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.93 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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 given a dividend of $0.09 per share. 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 is currently 7.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on 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. Truist Financial set a $84.00 price target on W.R. Berkley and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. BMO Capital Markets cut W.R. Berkley from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $64.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Monday, September 15th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $73.93.

Key Headlines Impacting W.R. Berkley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Sumitomo Insurance Co. Mitsui continued buying WRB stock across several late‑December trades, most recently acquiring 205,000 shares at ~$70.77 (bringing its reported holding to ~50.09M shares). The sequence of purchases (~234.6k on Dec 23, ~220k on Dec 24, ~220k on Dec 26 and ~205k on Dec 29) signals continued confidence from a >10% institutional owner and may support the stock. Sumitomo Insurance Buys WRB
• Positive Sentiment: W.R. Berkley named Erin Rotz president of Berkley Fire & Marine — an experienced inland marine and construction underwriting executive. The hire strengthens underwriting leadership in a specialty line that matters to Berkley’s earnings profile. Erin Rotz Appointment
• Neutral Sentiment: W.R. Berkley paid its quarterly dividend ($0.09; record Dec. 15, paid Dec. 29). The yield is modest (~0.5%) and unlikely to move the stock materially, but it maintains the company’s cash-return profile. Dividend and Company Data
• Neutral Sentiment: Large institutional holders (Vanguard, State Street, etc.) continue to own the bulk of shares (~69% combined), suggesting stability in the shareholder base but limited near‑term free float changes. Institutional Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage activity is mixed — BMO cut WRB to “underperform” ($64 TP) and Barclays has an “underweight” with a $73 TP, offsetting some positive analyst views; consensus remains a “Hold” with an average target near $73.9. These downgrades can cap upside until fundamentals or guidance change. Analyst Notes & Targets

Institutional Trading of W.R. Berkley

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Hilltop National Bank purchased a new position in W.R. Berkley during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors 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.