W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Major Shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui Buys 281,386 Shares of Stock

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui purchased 281,386 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $71.19 per share, with a total value of $20,031,869.34. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 56,878,038 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,049,147,525.22. This trade represents a 0.50% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

W.R. Berkley Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE WRB opened at $70.91 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.93, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.37. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $69.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.17. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a 12 month low of $59.55 and a 12 month high of $78.96.

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

W.R. Berkley Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be paid a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkley’s payout ratio is presently 8.09%.

Trending Headlines about W.R. Berkley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Sumitomo Insurance (a >10% holder) bought a total of 566,386 WRB shares across Feb. 17–18 (~285,000 on Feb. 18 at $70.64 and ~281,386 on Feb. 17 at $71.19), increasing its stake by ~0.5% and signaling confidence from a large strategic investor. The purchases total about $40 million and were disclosed to the SEC. SEC Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: MarketWatch notes that WRB underperformed peers on Tuesday despite daily gains, suggesting sector dynamics or relative valuation shifts may be influencing short‑term flows. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed multiple quarterly and full‑year EPS forecasts (Q1–Q3 2026, Q1–Q3 2027 and FY2026–FY2028), lowering FY2026 to $4.56 and FY2027 to $4.78 from prior levels — a material downward revision cadence that could pressure forward guidance expectations and investor sentiment.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WRB. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 140.0% during the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 360 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in W.R. Berkley in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.82% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on WRB shares. BMO Capital Markets downgraded W.R. Berkley from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $64.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. UBS Group set a $71.00 price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Evercore set a $69.00 target price on shares of W.R. Berkley and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $75.00 price target (down previously from $76.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on W.R. Berkley in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Four 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.67.

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.