Q3 EPS Estimates for W.R. Berkley Lifted by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised W.R. Berkley’s Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $1.07 from $1.03, while forecasting full-year 2026 EPS of $4.85.
• W.R. Berkley recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting $1.27 EPS versus the $1.08 consensus and $3.72 billion in revenue, up 2.4% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with an average “Reduce” rating and a consensus price target of $70.94, despite the company increasing its quarterly dividend to $0.10 per share.

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of W.R. Berkley in a note issued to investors on Thursday, August 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will earn $1.07 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.03. The consensus estimate for W.R. Berkley's current full-year earnings is $4.85 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.R. Berkley's Q3 2027 earnings at $0.98 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.58 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $1.20 EPS.

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

Several other research analysts also recently commented on WRB. Wolfe Research downgraded W.R. Berkley from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Atlantic Securities set a $74.00 price target on W.R. Berkley in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded W.R. Berkley from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $71.00 to $73.00 in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Evercore reissued an "underperform" rating and issued a $68.00 price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Bank of America restated an "underperform" rating and set a $68.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $70.94.

W.R. Berkley Price Performance

Shares of W.R. Berkley stock opened at $68.45 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.06, a P/E/G ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.29. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $71.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $68.87. 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 1-year low of $62.87 and a 1-year high of $78.96.

W.R. Berkley Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 23rd. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from W.R. Berkley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. W.R. Berkley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.21%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WRB. Stoneridge Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in W.R. Berkley during the fourth quarter worth about $2,801,000. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley in the fourth quarter worth about $65,233,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley in the fourth quarter worth about $1,630,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 6.9% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 634,244 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $43,991,000 after purchasing an additional 41,125 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 2,864.9% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 550,428 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $35,447,000 after purchasing an additional 531,863 shares during the period. 68.82% of the stock is 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.

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