Zacks Research Increases Earnings Estimates for W.R. Berkley

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for W.R. Berkley to $4.90 from $4.82, close to the $4.91 analyst consensus.
• W.R. Berkley reported quarterly EPS of $1.17, beating estimates of $1.15, but revenue of $3.74 billion fell short of expectations and declined 0.8% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment is generally cautious: MarketBeat reports an average “Reduce” rating and an average price target of $70.56.

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB - Free Report) - Research analysts at Zacks Research boosted their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of W.R. Berkley in a report released on Monday, November 9th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will earn $4.90 per share for the year, up from their previous forecast of $4.82. The consensus estimate for W.R. Berkley's current full-year earnings is $4.91 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.R. Berkley's Q4 2026 earnings at $1.16 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.25 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.15 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.16 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.81 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.15 EPS and Q3 2028 earnings at $1.14 EPS.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 19th. The insurance provider reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.02. W.R. Berkley had a return on equity of 19.70% and a net margin of 12.53%. The firm had revenue of $3.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year.

WRB has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Atlantic Securities set a $74.00 target price on W.R. Berkley in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $70.00 target price on W.R. Berkley and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Bank of America downgraded shares of W.R. Berkley from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $74.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $79.00 price target on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Monday, October 26th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $70.56.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

Shares of WRB opened at $75.89 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $71.34 and a 200-day moving average of $69.47. The company has a market cap of $28.19 billion, a PE ratio of 16.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.23. W.R. Berkley has a one year low of $62.87 and a one year high of $79.26.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley during the second quarter valued at about $105,639,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the 2nd quarter valued at about $95,040,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its stake in W.R. Berkley by 1,300.5% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 751,280 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $52,988,000 after buying an additional 697,638 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 23.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,904,522 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $192,512,000 after buying an additional 550,560 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,972,929 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $263,326,000 after buying an additional 377,742 shares in the last quarter. 68.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.R. Berkley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.46%.

About W.R. Berkley

W.R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company that provides commercial property and casualty insurance, reinsurance, and related services. Its offerings include coverage for businesses and professionals across areas such as property, casualty, workers' compensation, transportation, and specialty risks.

Founded in 1967 by William R. Berkley, the company operates through a group of insurance businesses with expertise in specific markets and customer needs. Its operations serve customers in the United States and select international markets.

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