W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Major Shareholder Buys $22,258,500.00 in Stock

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui purchased 330,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $67.45 per share, with a total value of $22,258,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 54,221,504 shares in the company, valued at $3,657,240,444.80. The trade was a 0.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Large shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

WRB stock opened at $67.10 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $70.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $72.08. 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 Corporation has a 12-month low of $56.86 and a 12-month high of $78.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.50 billion, a PE ratio of 14.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.39.

W.R. Berkley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were paid a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkley’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.56%.

Key W.R. Berkley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major shareholder Sumitomo / Mitsui bought a sizeable block of Berkley shares over Jan. 20–21 (roughly 630,000 shares, ~ $42–$43M total), increasing its stake and signaling institutional confidence/support for the stock. Mitsui Sumitomo buys Berkley (WRB) shares worth $42.6m
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published an earnings preview outlining expectations for WRB’s Q4 results (premium growth, investment income and underwriting performance are items to watch). This is useful context ahead of results but isn’t a direct catalyst until earnings are reported. W.R. Berkley Gears Up to Report Q4 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and price targets remain mixed (Buy/Hold/Sell split); consensus rating is around “Reduce” with an average target near the low- to mid‑$70s — keep an eye on how individual shops adjust targets after earnings.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen downgraded WRB to a Sell and cut its price target sharply to $55 from $77, a move that likely pressured sentiment and contributed to selling pressure. TD Cowen downgrades W. R. Berkley Corporation (WRB) to a Sell
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed several near‑term quarterly and FY EPS forecasts for WRB (multiple cuts to Q4/Q1–Q3 2026–27 and FY2026–27 estimates), lowering expected earnings momentum — this reduces near‑term upside to the stock absent stronger underwriting/investment results.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in WRB. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hilltop National Bank bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley in the second quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. 68.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on WRB. TD Cowen downgraded shares of W.R. Berkley from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $77.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Evercore ISI set a $69.00 target price on shares of W.R. Berkley and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price target on W.R. Berkley from $78.00 to $76.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. BMO Capital Markets cut W.R. Berkley from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $64.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $75.00 target price on W.R. Berkley in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $71.47.

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.