Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui Buys 300,000 Shares of W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Stock

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui acquired 300,000 shares of W.R. Berkley stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The stock was bought at an average price of $68.18 per share, with a total value of $20,454,000.00. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 53,261,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,631,369,342.72. This trade represents a 0.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

W.R. Berkley Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of WRB opened at $67.85 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $71.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.18. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a twelve month low of $56.86 and a twelve month high of $78.96. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $25.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.25, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.39.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 20th. The insurance provider reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.03. W.R. Berkley had a return on equity of 18.86% and a net margin of 13.01%.The business had revenue of $3.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.93 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.R. Berkley Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.56%.

Key Headlines Impacting W.R. Berkley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major shareholder Sumitomo (Mitsui) has been buying sizeable blocks of WRB across Jan. 12–16, repeatedly increasing its stake with purchases at prices around the high-$60s; the purchases represent multi‑million dollar commitments and act as an insider vote of confidence. Mitsui Sumitomo buys Berkley (WRB) shares
• Neutral Sentiment: The purchases are all formally disclosed in SEC ownership filings, which confirm the trades and updated stake size but show each increase is under 1% individually; transparency reduces uncertainty but the moves are gradual. SEC ownership filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald trimmed its price target modestly while keeping an overweight stance, reflecting slightly lower upside from that analyst but continued support; other shops remain mixed, leaving consensus near the low‑$70s. Cantor Fitzgerald lowers expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Technicals and analyst mix are headwinds: WRB is trading below its 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages (~$72), and several analysts carry hold/underweight views or lower targets, which can cap near‑term upside despite insider buying.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and set a $64.00 target price (down from $73.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $75.00 price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Evercore ISI set a $69.00 target price on W.R. Berkley and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on W.R. Berkley from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $68.00 price objective on W.R. Berkley and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $73.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Hilltop National Bank purchased a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in W.R. Berkley during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. 68.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.