Zacks Research Reduces Earnings Estimates for W.R. Berkley

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut W.R. Berkley’s Q1 2028 EPS estimate to $1.45 from $1.55, while full-year analyst consensus stands at $4.81 per share.
• Despite the revised forecast, W.R. Berkley’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $1.27 versus the $1.08 consensus and revenue of $3.72 billion, up 2.4% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a $70.94 price target, although the company recently raised its quarterly dividend to $0.10 per share.

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB - Free Report) - Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2028 earnings per share estimates for W.R. Berkley in a research report issued 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 estimate of $1.55. The consensus estimate for W.R. Berkley's current full-year earnings is $4.81 per share.

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

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Bank of America reaffirmed an "underperform" rating and issued a $68.00 price objective (down from $74.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of W.R. Berkley from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $77.00 price target (up from $71.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Mizuho lifted their price target on W.R. Berkley from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Evercore reissued an "underperform" rating and set a $68.00 price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Friday, July 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $70.94.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

NYSE WRB opened at $70.15 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $26.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.40, a PEG ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $70.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $68.79. 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 $62.87 and a 12-month 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 paid a $0.10 dividend. This is a positive change from W.R. Berkley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 23rd. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. W.R. Berkley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.21%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Stoneridge Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,801,000. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley during the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,233,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,630,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in W.R. Berkley by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 634,244 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $43,991,000 after purchasing an additional 41,125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in W.R. Berkley by 13.9% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,099,746 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $77,114,000 after purchasing an additional 133,804 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.82% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about W.R. Berkley

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source