W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Major Shareholder Purchases $24,641,280.00 in Stock

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui bought 368,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $66.96 per share, for a total transaction of $24,641,280.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 54,589,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,655,313,187.84. This trade represents a 0.68% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

W.R. Berkley Price Performance

WRB opened at $67.10 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current 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 company has a fifty day simple moving average of $70.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of $72.08. The stock has a market cap of $25.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.39.

W.R. Berkley Announces Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting W.R. Berkley

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 Investors Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of W.R. Berkley by 75.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 50,503 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,955,000 after purchasing an additional 21,737 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in W.R. Berkley by 9.7% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,990 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,419,000 after purchasing an additional 3,013 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in W.R. Berkley by 399.0% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 9,506 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $675,000 after buying an additional 7,601 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in W.R. Berkley by 109.7% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 51,686 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $3,695,000 after buying an additional 27,042 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 3.2% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 8,918 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $655,000 after buying an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. 68.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WRB has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $75.00 target price on W.R. Berkley in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Mizuho set a $69.00 price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. TD Cowen lowered shares of W.R. Berkley from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $77.00 to $55.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of 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. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target 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. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target 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.