Zacks Research Decreases Earnings Estimates for W.R. Berkley

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) – Analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q2 2026 earnings estimates for shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note issued 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 previous 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.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The insurance provider reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.14 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. W.R. Berkley had a return on equity of 18.17% and a net margin of 12.10%.The company’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.13 EPS.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Evercore restated an “underperform” rating on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley from $68.00 to $66.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley from $69.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley from $75.00 to $70.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Argus dropped their price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley from $82.00 to $76.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.R. Berkley currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $69.19.

W.R. Berkley Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of W.R. Berkley stock opened at $66.58 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. W.R. Berkley has a 12-month low of $63.65 and a 12-month high of $78.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.96, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.37. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $68.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $71.33.

Institutional Trading of W.R. Berkley

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the fourth quarter worth $3,542,919,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in W.R. Berkley by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 37,033,581 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,596,795,000 after buying an additional 309,828 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in W.R. Berkley by 1.0% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 14,921,114 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,143,256,000 after buying an additional 149,605 shares in the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the third quarter worth $682,816,000. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the fourth quarter worth $435,752,000. 68.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at W.R. Berkley

In other news, major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co L. Mitsui purchased 112,176 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $72.20 per share, with a total value of $8,099,107.20. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 58,780,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,243,948,490. This represents a 0.19% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders have acquired 7,294,987 shares of company stock worth $503,481,336 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 23.30% of the company’s stock.

W.R. Berkley Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkley’s dividend payout ratio is 8.09%.

Key Headlines Impacting W.R. Berkley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Insiders and institutions have been buying stock in Q1 (including Sumitomo increasing its stake), signaling strong insider conviction and providing structural support to the share price; heavy insider buying tends to limit downside and attract value/income investors. Top 5 Insider Buys From Q1: Buy, Sell, or Hold in Q2?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks issued upward revisions for several medium‑term forecasts (Q4 2026, Q4 2027 and FY2028 EPS nudged higher), suggesting analysts see modest earnings tailwinds later in the cycle — a supportive signal for forward earnings expectations. MarketBeat: WRB / Zacks estimate notes
• Neutral Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece highlights W.R. Berkley’s baby bonds as investment‑grade, attractively priced income instruments — positive for fixed‑income investors and capital structure depth, but only indirectly relevant to near‑term equity performance. W. R. Berkley’s Baby Bonds: Investment-Grade Income At A Discount
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks also trimmed near‑term quarter estimates (Q1 2027 and Q2 2026 EPS slightly reduced), indicating some softness expected in the upcoming quarters — a reason for caution if near‑term results miss consensus. MarketBeat: WRB / Zacks estimate notes
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley lowered its price target slightly (from $73 to $72) and keeps an “equal weight” rating, which is a modest negative signal for upside potential relative to peers — small but notable for momentum traders. Benzinga: Morgan Stanley cuts WRB PT

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.