Q4 EPS Estimates for W.R. Berkley Boosted by Zacks Research

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q4 2027 EPS estimates for W.R. Berkley in a report released on Monday, February 16th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will post earnings of $1.31 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.23. The consensus estimate for W.R. Berkley’s current full-year earnings is $4.33 per share.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. UBS Group set a $71.00 price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 target price on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set 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, Evercore set a $69.00 price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.R. Berkley presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $69.67.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

Shares of W.R. Berkley stock opened at $70.91 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $69.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $72.17. The firm has a market cap of $26.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.37. W.R. Berkley has a 12 month low of $59.55 and a 12 month high of $78.96.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 18.35% and a net margin of 12.10%.The firm had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.13 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

W.R. Berkley Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at W.R. Berkley

In related news, major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co L. Mitsui purchased 370,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 26th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $67.07 per share, with a total value of $24,815,900.00. Following the purchase, the insider owned 54,959,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,686,133,933.28. This represents a 0.68% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders have acquired 8,316,450 shares of company stock worth $572,768,056 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 23.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WRB. Johnson Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in W.R. Berkley by 22.3% in the 3rd quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 756 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Maridea Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Maridea Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,180 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $528,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the period. Inspire Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in W.R. Berkley by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 14,364 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,007,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in W.R. Berkley by 40.2% in the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 523 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. Finally, Valeo Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in W.R. Berkley by 3.3% during the third quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,788 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $367,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.82% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about W.R. Berkley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Large strategic insider buys — Sumitomo Insurance (a >10% holder) purchased ~566,386 WRB shares across Feb. 17–18 (~285,000 at $70.64 on Feb. 18 and ~281,386 at $71.19 on Feb. 17), adding roughly $40M to its position and increasing its stake by ~0.5%. This signals confidence from a major long‑term shareholder and is likely supporting the stock. SEC Filing
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — WRB announced a quarterly dividend of $0.09 (annualized $0.36, ~0.5% yield) with an ex‑dividend date of Feb. 23 and pay date of Mar. 4. The payout (low payout ratio ~8%) reinforces capital return while leaving room for reinvestment or buybacks.
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative performance mixed — MarketWatch noted WRB underperformed peers on Tuesday despite daily gains, suggesting sector rotation or valuation differences are influencing short‑term flows. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional / hedge fund activity shows modest adjustments (several funds added small stakes or increased positions), and consensus analyst view remains a “Hold” with an average target near ~$69.7 — mixed signals on near‑term upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut numerous near‑term and multi‑year EPS estimates (several Q1–Q3 2026 and 2027 quarters; FY2026 lowered to $4.56 and FY2027 to $4.78). While Zacks raised its Q4 2027 estimate to $1.31 from $1.23, the broader downward revision cadence could weigh on forward expectations and investor sentiment.

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.