W.R. Berkley Q1 Earnings Forecast Raised by Zacks Research

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2028 EPS estimates for W.R. Berkley in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, November 9th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will post earnings of $1.45 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.43. The consensus estimate for W.R. Berkley’s current full-year earnings is $4.92 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.R. Berkley’s FY2028 earnings at $5.00 EPS.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last announced its earnings results on Monday, October 19th. The insurance provider reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $3.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .8% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on WRB. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $68.00 price objective (up from $65.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of W.R. Berkley from $78.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Oppenheimer set a $70.00 price target on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of W.R. Berkley from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of W.R. Berkley from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $74.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $70.56.

W.R. Berkley Trading Up 1.3%

WRB opened at $76.90 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $28.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.26, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.23. W.R. Berkley has a 12 month low of $62.87 and a 12 month high of $79.26. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $71.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $69.52.

W.R. Berkley Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of W.R. Berkley

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WRB. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its holdings in shares of W.R. Berkley by 152.0% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 211,553 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $15,561,000 after buying an additional 127,603 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.R. Berkley by 250.3% during the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 10,954 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $740,000 after buying an additional 7,827 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 241,587 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $16,317,000 after acquiring an additional 16,029 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 187.0% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 20,000 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,351,000 after acquiring an additional 13,032 shares during the period. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC raised its stake in W.R. Berkley by 105.9% in the 3rd quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 16,096 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,180,000 after acquiring an additional 8,280 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.82% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting W.R. Berkley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $4.90 from $4.82, FY2027 to $4.81 from $4.58, and Q1 2028 to $1.45 from $1.43. It also increased estimates for several quarters, suggesting improved expectations for earnings over much of the forecast period.
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks analysis points to disciplined underwriting, premium growth, record investment income and AI-related efficiency gains as factors supporting profitability despite competition. Article: WRB Underperforms Industry, Trades at a Discount: Time to Hold or Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Estimate changes were not uniformly positive: Zacks cut its Q2 2028 estimate to $1.15 from $1.20 and made small reductions to Q4 2026 and other forecasts. The revisions are mixed, though the firm’s longer-term annual estimates generally moved higher.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investment income is benefiting from a larger portfolio and attractive reinvestment yields, but growth could slow, potentially limiting a source of earnings support. Article: Can WRB’s Net Investment Income Continue to Support Earnings?

W.R. Berkley Company Profile

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.