Cerity Partners LLC Has $52.43 Million Stake in W.R. Berkley Corporation $WRB

Key Points

• Cerity Partners LLC significantly increased its stake in W.R. Berkley by 73.5% in the fourth quarter, ending with 747,731 shares valued at about $52.4 million.
• W.R. Berkley recently reported strong quarterly earnings, posting $1.30 per share versus the $1.13 estimate and revenue of $3.69 billion, both above expectations.
• The insurer raised its quarterly dividend to $0.10 per share from $0.09, while analysts remain cautious overall with a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a $68.44 price target.

Cerity Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB - Free Report) by 73.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 747,731 shares of the insurance provider's stock after purchasing an additional 316,842 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC owned 0.20% of W.R. Berkley worth $52,431,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in W.R. Berkley during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted 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 valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in W.R. Berkley during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Financial LLC increased its position in W.R. Berkley by 691.9% during the second quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC now owns 586 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 512 shares during the period. 68.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

NYSE WRB opened at $67.09 on Wednesday. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $66.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.21, a P/E/G ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a 1 year low of $62.87 and a 1 year high of $78.96.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The insurance provider reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.13 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $3.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.18 billion. W.R. Berkley had a return on equity of 18.92% and a net margin of 12.64%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.01 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.R. Berkley Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This is an increase from W.R. Berkley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 23rd. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. W.R. Berkley's payout ratio is presently 7.63%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WRB has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of W.R. Berkley from an "overweight" rating to an "underweight" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $64.00 to $58.00 in a research report on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded shares of W.R. Berkley from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $75.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Truist Financial cut their price target on W.R. Berkley from $80.00 to $78.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on W.R. Berkley from $73.00 to $72.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, UBS Group set a $68.00 price objective on W.R. Berkley and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.R. Berkley currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $68.44.

W.R. Berkley News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: W.R. Berkley continues to emphasize shareholder returns, with recent commentary highlighting dividend growth and share repurchases as the company returns excess capital while maintaining strong profitability. W. R. Berkley Delivers Long-Term Value Through Capital Returns
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research nudged up some longer-term earnings forecasts, including higher FY2028 EPS estimates, which can support confidence in the company’s profit outlook. W.R. Berkley analyst estimate updates
• Neutral Sentiment: W.R. Berkley also announced the passing of founder William R. Berkley at age 80, an important corporate event but not an immediate change to earnings or operations on its own. Company announcement on the passing of William R. Berkley
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate changes were mixed, with a slight increase in Q1 2028 and FY2028 forecasts but small reductions in FY2027 and Q3 2027 estimates, leaving the overall near-term outlook broadly unchanged. W.R. Berkley analyst estimate updates
• Negative Sentiment: The founder’s death may create some uncertainty around succession and continuity at a company long associated with his leadership, which could pressure the stock if investors focus on governance risk. Reuters article on W.R. Berkley passing away

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.

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