Zacks Research Reduces Earnings Estimates for W.R. Berkley

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) – Zacks Research decreased their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note issued to investors on Monday, August 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the insurance provider will post earnings per share of $1.03 for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $1.11. The consensus estimate for W.R. Berkley’s current full-year earnings is $4.79 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.R. Berkley’s Q4 2026 earnings at $1.18 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $4.78 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.24 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.11 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.95 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.25 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.55 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.21 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $5.00 EPS.

WRB has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded W.R. Berkley from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $74.00 price objective (up from $70.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Mizuho raised their price objective on W.R. Berkley from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $77.00 target price (up from $71.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Monday, July 27th. Three 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $70.94.

W.R. Berkley Stock Down 1.3%

WRB stock opened at $70.70 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.52, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.29. W.R. Berkley has a 52-week low of $62.87 and a 52-week high of $78.96. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $70.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.77.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last issued its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.28 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.05 EPS. W.R. Berkley’s revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis.

W.R. Berkley Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 23rd were issued a $0.10 dividend. This is a boost from W.R. Berkley’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 23rd. W.R. Berkley’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.21%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its holdings in W.R. Berkley by 140.0% in the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 360 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in W.R. Berkley in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in W.R. Berkley during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. 68.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More W.R. Berkley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $4.78 from $4.63 and increased its Q4 2026 forecast to $1.18 from $1.15. The upgrades indicate expectations for stronger earnings in the current fiscal year, although the annual estimate remains just below the broader consensus of $4.79. W.R. Berkley stock information
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also lifted its Q2 2027 EPS estimate to $1.11 from $1.04 and its Q2 2028 forecast to $1.21 from $1.06, suggesting improved expectations for those periods. W.R. Berkley stock information
• Neutral Sentiment: The current Zacks forecast calls for $4.78 EPS in FY2026, $4.55 in FY2027 and $5.00 in FY2028. The FY2026 projection is close to consensus, while the longer-term figures provide investors with a mixed earnings trajectory. W.R. Berkley stock information
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks reduced its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $1.03 from $1.11, cut FY2027 EPS to $4.55 from $4.72, and lowered FY2028 EPS to $5.00 from $5.07. It also trimmed Q1 2027 and Q3 2027 estimates, pointing to softer earnings expectations beyond the current year. W.R. Berkley stock information

W.R. Berkley Company Profile

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.