Q1 EPS Estimates for W.R. Berkley Cut by Zacks Research

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) – Research analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2028 earnings estimates for W.R. Berkley in a research note issued to investors on Monday, August 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the insurance provider will post earnings per share of $1.45 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.55. The consensus estimate for W.R. Berkley’s current full-year earnings is $4.81 per share.

WRB has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $68.00 price objective (up from $67.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Mizuho increased their target price on W.R. Berkley from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Argus lowered W.R. Berkley from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Evercore reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $68.00 price target on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $62.00 price objective (down from $64.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.R. Berkley has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $70.94.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

Shares of WRB stock opened at $70.15 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $70.71 and its 200 day moving average is $68.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.40, a PEG ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.29. W.R. Berkley has a 12 month low of $62.87 and a 12 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.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last posted its earnings results on Monday, July 20th. The insurance provider reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.19. W.R. Berkley had a net margin of 12.94% and a return on equity of 19.44%. The firm had revenue of $3.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.28 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.05 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WRB. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 140.0% in the fourth quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 360 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the second quarter valued at $29,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in W.R. Berkley in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. 68.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.R. Berkley Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 23rd were paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 23rd. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from W.R. Berkley’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. W.R. Berkley’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.21%.

Key W.R. Berkley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research increased its FY2026 EPS estimate to $4.78 from $4.63 and lifted its Q4 2026 forecast to $1.18 from $1.15. It also raised its Q2 2027 estimate to $1.11 from $1.04 and Q2 2028 to $1.21 from $1.06, suggesting expectations for improved earnings momentum in portions of the forecast period. Zacks Research estimates
• Positive Sentiment: An analysis from Zacks highlighted W.R. Berkley’s disciplined underwriting, premium growth and record investment income as factors supporting margins. The stock was also described as trading at a substantial discount to the insurance industry, which could appeal to value-oriented investors if operating performance remains strong. WRB Trading at a 2.67X Discount to Industry
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to project full-year 2026 EPS near the broader consensus of $4.79, with Zacks estimating $4.78. This indicates that the upgraded 2026 outlook is constructive but does not materially change the consensus earnings narrative.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $1.03 from $1.11, reduced Q1 2027 to $1.24 from $1.25, cut FY2027 to $4.55 from $4.72 and trimmed FY2028 to $5.00 from $5.07. It also reduced Q3 2027 to $0.95 from $1.08 and Q4 2027 to $1.25 from $1.34. These downward revisions, particularly for full-year 2027, may be weighing on investor sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: The Zacks analysis also identified artificial-intelligence adoption and competitive pressures as longer-term factors that could affect the insurance industry and W.R. Berkley’s growth prospects, tempering the benefit of its current valuation discount.

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.