Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui Acquires 160,582 Shares of W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Stock

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui acquired 160,582 shares of W.R. Berkley stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $70.80 per share, with a total value of $11,369,205.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 57,668,620 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,082,938,296. This trade represents a 0.28% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

NYSE WRB opened at $71.08 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $27.01 billion, a PE ratio of 15.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.37. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $69.40 and a 200-day moving average of $72.18. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a 52-week low of $60.20 and a 52-week 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 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 18.35%. The company had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.13 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.33 EPS for the current year.

W.R. Berkley Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.09 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $75.00 price target (down from $76.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Bank of America reduced their price target on W.R. Berkley from $69.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Morgan Stanley set a $73.00 price objective on W.R. Berkley in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Evercore set a $69.00 target price on W.R. Berkley and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $69.67.

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 two blocks of WRB stock this week — 345,000 shares on Feb. 19 and 160,582 shares on Feb. 20 — representing roughly $35.7M of purchases at about $70.65–$70.80 per share. Large, repeat buying by a major shareholder is a clear vote of confidence and likely the primary driver of today’s uptick. Insider Buy Filing
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised Q4 EPS estimates for WRB, which supports the earnings outlook and reduces downside risk from near-term results. Upward estimate revisions can boost sentiment ahead of upcoming reports. Zacks Lifts Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary that WRB’s chances of S&P 500 inclusion may be rising has drawn attention; inclusion would likely increase passive fund demand if it occurs. S&P Inclusion Story
• Neutral Sentiment: WRB declared a small quarterly dividend of $0.09 (annualized $0.36, ~0.5% yield) with an ex-dividend date of Feb. 23 and pay date Mar. 4 — supportive for income investors but not a major catalyst. Dividend & Stock Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed: several price-target cuts and a consensus “Hold” rating (consensus target ~$69.7) could limit upside even as some firms keep buy ratings. Recent target downgrades (e.g., Barclays, Mizuho) are a headwind to sustained rallies. Analyst Notes

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

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

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.