W. R. Berkley Corporation, an insurance holding company, operates as a commercial lines writer in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Insurance segment underwrites commercial insurance business, including premises operations, commercial automobile, property, products liability, and professional liability lines. It also provides workers' compensation, property casualty, general liability, and excess and umbrella coverage insurance products, as well as coverages for technology, ambulatory surgery centers, chiropractors, and concierge physicians; accident and health insurance and reinsurance products; insurance for commercial risks; pollution liability and protective coverages to contractors and owners; and liquor liability and inland marine coverage for small to medium-sized insureds. In addition, this segment offers aviation insurance products; directors and officers, and surety risk products, as well as products for life sciences and travel industries; coverage for excess liability, construction wrap-ups, and completed operations; cyber risk solutions; casualty, group life, and crime-related insurance products; personal lines insurance solutions, including home, condo/co-op, and collectibles; automobile, law enforcement, public officials and educator's legal, and employment practices liability, as well as incidental medical insurance products; and at-risk and alternative risk insurance program management services. The Reinsurance segment provides other insurance companies and self-insureds with assistance in managing their net risk through reinsurance on a portfolio basis through treaty reinsurance or on an individual basis through facultative reinsurance. W. R. Berkley Corporation was founded in 1967 and is based in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Industry, Sector and Symbol
Industry Fire, marine, & casualty insurance
Sub-IndustryProperty & Casualty Insurance
SectorFinance
SymbolNYSE:WRB
CUSIP08442310
Phone203-629-3000
Debt
Debt-to-Equity Ratio0.49
Current Ratio0.36
Quick Ratio0.36
Price-To-Earnings
Trailing P/E Ratio30.40
Forward P/E Ratio20.45
P/E Growth2.27
Sales & Book Value
Annual Sales$7.68 billion
Price / Sales1.18
Cash Flow$3.5225 per share
Price / Cash21.07
Book Value$44.76 per share
Price / Book1.66
Profitability
EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year)$2.46
Net Income$549.09 million
Net Margins7.68%
Return on Equity6.53%
Return on Assets1.46%
Miscellaneous
Employees7,222
Outstanding Shares121,670,000
W. R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Frequently Asked Questions
What is W. R. Berkley's stock symbol?
W. R. Berkley trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol "WRB."
How often does W. R. Berkley pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for W. R. Berkley?
W. R. Berkley announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share on Thursday, July 5th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 14th. This is an increase from W. R. Berkley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. View W. R. Berkley's Dividend History.
How will W. R. Berkley's stock buyback program work?
W. R. Berkley announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, August 9th 2017, which permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares, according to EventVestor. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.
How were W. R. Berkley's earnings last quarter?
W. R. Berkley Corp (NYSE:WRB) announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April, 24th. The insurance provider reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.11. The insurance provider earned $1.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. W. R. Berkley had a net margin of 7.68% and a return on equity of 6.53%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.96 earnings per share. View W. R. Berkley's Earnings History.
When is W. R. Berkley's next earnings date?
What price target have analysts set for WRB?
9 brokers have issued 1-year target prices for W. R. Berkley's stock. Their predictions range from $66.00 to $74.00. On average, they expect W. R. Berkley's share price to reach $69.75 in the next year. View Analyst Ratings for W. R. Berkley.
What are Wall Street analysts saying about W. R. Berkley stock?
Here are some recent quotes from research analysts about W. R. Berkley stock:
- 1. According to Zacks Investment Research, "W.R. Berkley’s bottom line in first-quarter 2018 tops estimates and improved year over year on better underwriting, higher net investment income, lower expenses and tax. The company has been investing in a number of startups since 2006 as well as establishing new units, enabling it to take advantage of an improved market scenario. Establishing operating units in North and Southeast Asia is in line with the strategy while divestment of wholly owned investment is likely to drive shareholder value. Its international business has potential for long-term earnings growth. It is also successfully increasing rate over a considerable time. Reserving discipline and a strong capital position are other positives. Shares of W.R. Berkley have outperformed the industry year to date. However, exposures to highly competitive reinsurance market and cat loss are concerns. Increasing debt inducing higher interest expenses weigh on desired margin expansion." (4/27/2018)
- 2. Boenning Scattergood analysts commented, "We think the company is an excellent core holding for long-term investors and is well positioned to take advantage of any improvement in market conditions. We believe Berkley benefits from the recent corporate tax reform both by increasing potential profitability as well as leveling the playing field with offshore competitors. However, the company’s P/B valuation is modestly high relative to its historical average, so we don’t see much potential for the shares to outperform in the near-term. As such, we believe the shares are fully valued and maintain our Neutral rating." (1/31/2018)
Who are some of W. R. Berkley's key competitors?
Some companies that are related to W. R. Berkley include Progressive (PGR), Travelers Companies (TRV), Allstate (ALL), Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG), Ms&Ad Insurance Group (MSADY), Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd Subordinate Voting Shares (FRFHF), Loews (L), Markel (MKL), XL Group (XL), Cna Financial (CNA), Cincinnati Financial (CINF), Arch Capital Group (ACGL), American Financial Group (AFG), Everest Re Group (RE) and Alleghany (Y).
Who are W. R. Berkley's key executives?
W. R. Berkley's management team includes the folowing people:
- Mr. William Robert Berkley, Exec. Chairman (Age 73)
- Mr. William Robert Berkley Jr., Pres, CEO & Director (Age 45)
- Mr. Richard Mark Baio, Sr. VP, CFO & Treasurer (Age 49)
- Mr. James Gerald Shiel, Exec. VP of Investments (Age 58)
- Mr. Ira Seth Lederman, Exec. VP & Sec. (Age 64)
Has W. R. Berkley been receiving favorable news coverage?
Media coverage about WRB stock has been trending positive on Wednesday, according to Accern Sentiment. The research group identifies negative and positive press coverage by reviewing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. W. R. Berkley earned a media sentiment score of 0.43 on Accern's scale. They also assigned news stories about the insurance provider an impact score of 48.26 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company's share price in the immediate future.
Who are W. R. Berkley's major shareholders?
W. R. Berkley's stock is owned by a variety of of institutional and retail investors. Top institutional shareholders include BlackRock Inc. (8.33%), First Eagle Investment Management LLC (5.33%), Atlanta Capital Management Co. L L C (4.06%), Victory Capital Management Inc. (3.03%), Boston Partners (2.77%) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (1.66%). View Institutional Ownership Trends for W. R. Berkley.
Which major investors are selling W. R. Berkley stock?
WRB stock was sold by a variety of institutional investors in the last quarter, including Millennium Management LLC, Chilton Investment Co. LLC, Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc., DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale, Swiss National Bank, Clinton Group Inc., Russell Investments Group Ltd. and Hsbc Holdings PLC. View Insider Buying and Selling for W. R. Berkley.
Which major investors are buying W. R. Berkley stock?
WRB stock was bought by a variety of institutional investors in the last quarter, including Victory Capital Management Inc., Scout Investments Inc., Atlanta Capital Management Co. L L C, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Fiduciary Management Inc. WI, BlackRock Inc., Carillon Tower Advisers Inc. and Mackay Shields LLC. View Insider Buying and Selling for W. R. Berkley.
How do I buy shares of W. R. Berkley?
Shares of WRB can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Vanguard Brokerage Services, TD Ameritrade, E*TRADE, Scottrade, Fidelity and Charles Schwab.
What is W. R. Berkley's stock price today?
One share of WRB stock can currently be purchased for approximately $74.22.
How big of a company is W. R. Berkley?
W. R. Berkley has a market capitalization of $9.04 billion and generates $7.68 billion in revenue each year. The insurance provider earns $549.09 million in net income (profit) each year or $2.46 on an earnings per share basis. W. R. Berkley employs 7,222 workers across the globe.
How can I contact W. R. Berkley?
W. R. Berkley's mailing address is 475 STEAMBOAT ROAD, GREENWICH CT, 06830. The insurance provider can be reached via phone at 203-629-3000 or via email at [email protected]
MarketBeat Community Rating for W. R. Berkley (WRB)
MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about W. R. Berkley and other stocks. Vote "Outperform" if you believe WRB will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote "Underperform" if you believe WRB will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.
