Zacks Research Decreases Earnings Estimates for W.R. Berkley

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the insurance provider will post earnings of $1.08 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.09. The consensus estimate for W.R. Berkley’s current full-year earnings is $4.33 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.R. Berkley’s Q4 2026 earnings at $1.20 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.14 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.32 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.92 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of W.R. Berkley from $71.00 to $69.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho decreased their target price on W.R. Berkley from $69.00 to $67.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on W.R. Berkley from $73.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Finally, Brean Capital downgraded W.R. Berkley from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $73.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $68.94.

W.R. Berkley Stock Up 0.7%

WRB opened at $67.15 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market cap of $25.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.09, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.37. W.R. Berkley has a twelve month low of $63.65 and a twelve month high of $78.96. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $68.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $71.30.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last announced its 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 net margin of 12.10% and a return on equity of 18.17%. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.18 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.13 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

W.R. Berkley Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkley’s dividend payout ratio is 8.09%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other W.R. Berkley news, major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co L. Mitsui acquired 370,000 shares of W.R. Berkley stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $67.07 per share, for a total transaction of $24,815,900.00. Following the purchase, the insider owned 54,959,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,686,133,933.28. This represents a 0.68% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 7,099,987 shares of company stock valued at $489,800,136. 23.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the 4th quarter worth about $3,542,919,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the 3rd quarter worth about $682,816,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the 4th quarter worth about $435,752,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its holdings in W.R. Berkley by 6,503.1% during the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,561,230 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $188,174,000 after purchasing an additional 2,601,230 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in W.R. Berkley by 35,572.5% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,219,902 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $155,660,000 after acquiring an additional 2,213,679 shares in the last quarter. 68.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting W.R. Berkley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several near- and medium-term EPS forecasts (small lifts to Q3 2026, Q3 2027, Q4 2026/2027 and FY2026/FY2028; slight reduction to some quarters), implying incremental earnings tailwinds and supporting forward profit expectations. Zacks / MarketBeat note
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece highlights W.R. Berkley’s baby bonds as “investment-grade income at a discount,” which can attract income-oriented investors and provide demand support for the stock and paper. Seeking Alpha: Baby Bonds
• Neutral Sentiment: A Globe and Mail summary notes analysts have conflicting views on financial names including WRB, underscoring mixed market sentiment rather than a clear directional catalyst. Globe and Mail: Analysts Conflicting
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays cut its price target to $62 and moved to an “underweight” stance — a materially negative signal that implies downside versus current levels and could pressure sentiment among institutional holders. Benzinga: Barclays PT cut
• Negative Sentiment: UBS trimmed its target to $69 and set a “neutral” rating, lowering upside from prior expectations and removing some buy-side enthusiasm. Benzinga: UBS PT cut
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley issued a pessimistic forecast for WRB, adding downside commentary that could weigh on sentiment among growth/value-focused investors. AmericanBankingNews: Morgan Stanley

W.R. Berkley Company Profile

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.