tiprankstipranks
Trending News
More News >
W. R. Berkley Corporation (WRB)
NYSE:WRB

W. R. Berkley Corporation (WRB) AI Stock Analysis

Compare
394 Followers

Top Page

WRB

W. R. Berkley Corporation

(NYSE:WRB)

Select Model
Select Model
Select Model
Outperform 81 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:81Outperform
Price Target:
$83.00
▲(15.76% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/28/26
The score is driven primarily by strong financial performance (growth, profitability, improving leverage, and excellent cash generation). The earnings call reinforces this with record results and disciplined expense/capital management, while competitive underwriting conditions and planned higher spending temper upside. Technicals are supportive but not strongly overextended, and valuation/dividend are reasonable.
Positive Factors
Cash generation
WRB’s free cash flow tracking ~95% of net income and strong operating cash flow ($3.6B FY) show durable cash conversion. This sustains dividends, opportunistic buybacks, reinvestment, and underwriting capacity through underwriting cycles, supporting long‑term financial flexibility.
Conservative balance sheet
Improving, conservative leverage (debt/equity falling) and low financial leverage provide loss absorption and capital flexibility. This supports underwriting discipline, capacity to absorb catastrophe volatility and sustained capital returns without compromising solvency over multi‑quarter horizons.
Underwriting and revenue momentum
Accelerating premium growth and record underwriting income reflect effective niche focus and pricing execution. Combined ratios near historical good levels and expanded premium base enhance scale, diversification and the ability to maintain underwriting profitability across business cycles.
Negative Factors
Auto liability weakness
Persistent weakness in auto liability is structural for many insurers: sustained severity and adverse loss trends can erode underwriting margins and force portfolio retrenchment. Shrinking exposure reduces growth and may require higher pricing or reserves to restore long‑term margin adequacy.
Property/cat reinsurance rate compression
Sharp treaty rate declines (‑19%) signal intense competition in property/cat reinsurance. That pressure can compress margins, force greater underwriting selectivity, and spill into casualty pricing as carriers chase premium, posing multi‑quarter headwinds to underwriting profitability.
Near‑term tech/AI spending
Planned material investments in technology/data/AI will raise expense and capital allocation in the near term, pressuring reported expense ratios and free cash flow availability. While strategic, these costs can temper near‑term margin expansion and capital returns before benefits materialize.

W. R. Berkley Corporation (WRB) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

W. R. Berkley Corporation Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionW. R. Berkley Corporation, an insurance holding company, operates as a commercial lines writer in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess. The Insurance segment underwrites commercial insurance business, including premises operations, commercial automobile, property, products liability, and general and professional liability lines. It also provides workers' compensation insurance products; accident and health insurance and reinsurance products; insurance for commercial risks; specialty environmental products for contractors, consultants, and property owners and facilities operators; specialized insurance coverages for fine arts and jewelry exposures; umbrella and excess liability coverage products; and liquor liability and inland marine coverage for small to medium-sized insureds. In addition, this segment offers directors and officers, and surety risk products, as well as products for technology, and life sciences and travel industries; cyber risk solutions; casualty, group life, and crime and fidelity related insurance products; personal lines insurance solutions, including home, condo/co-op, auto, 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 & Monoline Excess 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.
How the Company Makes MoneyW. R. Berkley Corporation generates revenue primarily through the underwriting of insurance premiums. The company writes policies across various lines of business, including general liability, workers' compensation, and property insurance, which contribute significantly to its revenue streams. Additionally, WRB earns income from investment activities, as it invests the premiums collected before claims are paid out. This investment income is a critical component of its overall profitability. The company also benefits from a disciplined underwriting approach, aiming to achieve favorable loss ratios and underwriting profitability. Strategic partnerships with brokers and agents enhance its market reach, while its focus on niche markets allows for premium pricing and better risk management, ultimately contributing to its earnings.

W. R. Berkley Corporation Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Jan 26, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Apr 27, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call conveyed a largely positive operational and financial picture: record earnings, underwriting income, premium volumes, strong investment income, cash flows and disciplined capital returns drove robust ROE and book value gains. That said, management highlighted material industry challenges — notably prolonged auto liability weakness, aggressive property/cat reinsurance pricing (including a 19% treaty rate decrease), pressure in certain professional lines, a one-off investment fund loss, and the prospect of near-term spending on technology. Management presents confidence in their ability to navigate competition and invest for the future while protecting margins, but acknowledged pockets of market stress to monitor.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Quarterly Operating Earnings
Operating earnings of $450 million ($1.13 per share) in Q4, up 9.5% year-over-year, producing a 21.4% return on beginning of year equity.
Record Underwriting Profit
Record quarterly pretax underwriting income of $338 million, an improvement of 14.9% versus prior year; current accident year pretax underwriting strength contributed materially.
Strong Premium Volumes
Record full-year gross and net premiums written of $15.1 billion and $12.7 billion, respectively; record net premiums earned for the quarter of $3.2 billion.
Healthy Combined Ratios
Current accident year combined ratio excluding catastrophes of 87.9% for the quarter and calendar year combined ratio of 89.4%; current accident year loss ratio excluding cats was 59.7% for the quarter.
Catastrophe Loss Improvement
Current accident year catastrophe losses in the quarter declined to $48 million, equivalent to 1.5 loss ratio points.
Investment Asset Growth and Income
Invested assets grew 11.4% during 2025 to $33.2 billion; investment income attributable to fixed maturities rose 13.3% quarter-over-quarter to $346 million; pretax net investment income for the quarter was $338 million.
Strong Operating Cash Flow and Liquidity
Operating cash flows of nearly $1.0 billion in the quarter and $3.6 billion for the full year, supporting higher investable assets and flexibility to deploy capital.
Capital Return and Balance Sheet Strength
Returned $608 million of capital in Q4 (special and regular dividends of $412 million and repurchases of $196 million); total capital returned in 2025 was $971 million (>10% of shareholders' equity); stockholders' equity grew 15.6% and financial leverage was a low 22.6%.
Outstanding Full-Year Financials
Full-year 2025: underwriting income $1.2 billion, net investment income $1.4 billion, operating income $1.7 billion and net income $1.8 billion. Book value per share growth of 26.7% before and 16.4% after dividends and repurchases.
Operational Efficiency and Expense Targets
Quarterly expense ratio improved to 28.2% (driven by record premiums earned and operational efficiencies), with management expecting expense ratio to remain comfortably below 30% in 2026.
Negative Updates
Persisting Auto Liability Pressure
Auto liability remains a significant, ongoing challenge ('ugly' market); management is shrinking exposure in auto liability as rates and market dynamics remain unfavorable.
Property Cat Reinsurance Rate Compression
Main property catastrophe treaty experienced a risk-adjusted rate decrease of 19% (data point tied to 1/1 renewals), indicating intense competition and downward pricing pressure in property reinsurance.
Spillover of Property Competitiveness into Casualty
Management flagged early signs that extreme competition in property/cat reinsurance is spilling over into the casualty market as firms chase top-line premium elsewhere.
Professional Liability Weakness
D&O continues to be challenged, and architects & engineers (A&E) professional lines also noted as problem areas where pricing and loss trends remain difficult.
Investment Fund Losses
Investment fund losses of $32 million in Q4 driven primarily by one disappointing fund/relationship; management does not expect this to be the norm but it offset some fixed income gains.
Mixed Premium Growth Momentum
Growth was uneven during the quarter: October and November were flattish, December GWP was up ~7% but the quarter's top-line growth disappointed management in parts and created uncertainty for early 2026 growth pacing.
Workers' Compensation and Medical Inflation Risk
Workers' compensation is not yet 'rosy' despite early signs of stabilization in California; management acknowledged medical inflation and Medicare/fee schedule dynamics as ongoing severity risks that could affect comp and medical stop-loss.
Planned Technology Investments Will Increase Near-Term Costs
Management plans meaningful investments in technology, data and AI in 2026 (and continuing into 2027) which will increase near-term spending even as they expect these investments to generate returns over time.
Company Guidance
Management guided that 2026 expense discipline remains a priority, with an expected expense ratio "comfortably below 30%" and an anticipated annual effective tax rate of about 23%, while making meaningful technology/AI and data investments now (higher spend in 2026 with benefits expected to begin in 2027) and aiming to preserve underwriting margins and exceed a long‑term ROE target of 15% through the cycle. Capital return will remain opportunistic — the company returned $608M in Q4 (regular + special dividends $412M; repurchases $196M) and $971M for the year (more than 10% of equity) — supported by strong operating cash flow (~$1.0B Q4, $3.6B FY), invested assets that grew 11.4% to $33.2B, a financial leverage ratio of 22.6%, and stockholders’ equity growth of 15.6%; book value per share rose 26.7% before and 16.4% after dividends/repurchases. On underwriting and pricing, management cited encouraging early January top‑line signs and noted December GWP up ~7% and rate ex‑comp a little over 7%, but warned of marketplace pressure (e.g., main property‑cat treaty risk‑adjusted rate down 19% at 1/1); quarterly metrics included record operating and net income of $450M ($1.13/sh), pretax underwriting income $338M, current accident‑year cat losses $48M (1.5 pts), an expense ratio of 28.2%, current accident‑year loss ratio ex‑cats 59.7%, current accident‑year combined ratio ex‑cats 87.9% and calendar year combined ratio 89.4%. The investment portfolio’s duration moved to ~3.0 years (from 2.6), fixed‑maturity income rose 13.3% QoQ to $346M, offset in the quarter by $32M of investment fund losses, and the company said it has capacity to reinvest cash rolling off at higher yields.

W. R. Berkley Corporation Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Strong financial quality overall: rapid revenue growth into 2025, durable profitability, improving/conservative leverage, and excellent cash conversion (FCF ~95% of net income in 2025). Main offsets are margin compression in 2025 vs. 2024 and a sharp reported total-asset change that reduces comparability.
Income Statement
86
Very Positive
Revenue has expanded strongly over the last several years, accelerating into 2025 (up ~35% vs. 2024) after steady growth from 2021–2024. Profitability is consistently solid for the period, with net margin generally in the low-teens (about 12.1% in 2025) and operating profitability holding up well. The main weakness is some margin compression in 2025 versus 2024 (both gross and net margins stepped down), indicating faster growth came with some giveback in profitability.
Balance Sheet
78
Positive
Leverage looks conservative and improving: debt relative to equity declined over time (from ~0.49 in 2021 to ~0.29 in 2025), supporting balance-sheet flexibility. Returns to shareholders are strong, with return on equity consistently healthy (about 18% in 2025). The key watch-out is the notable drop in reported total assets in 2025 versus prior years, which stands out as a potential mix/scale change that reduces balance-sheet comparability year to year based on the provided data.
Cash Flow
90
Very Positive
Cash generation is a clear strength: operating cash flow is consistently high and free cash flow closely tracks earnings (free cash flow running at ~95% of net income in 2025). Free cash flow also shows robust momentum, with strong growth in 2025 versus 2024. A limitation in the dataset is that the provided operating cash flow coverage figure is listed as 0.0 each year, so cash coverage of obligations can’t be assessed from the available metrics.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue14.71B13.64B12.14B11.17B9.46B
Gross Profit2.91B3.12B2.72B2.44B2.02B
EBITDA2.37B2.22B1.86B1.91B1.56B
Net Income1.78B1.76B1.38B1.38B1.02B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets12.89B40.57B37.20B33.86B32.10B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments2.49B24.33B21.49B18.99B18.17B
Total Debt2.84B2.84B2.84B2.84B3.27B
Total Liabilities-9.81B32.16B29.73B27.09B25.42B
Stockholders Equity9.81B8.40B7.46B6.75B6.65B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow3.41B3.57B2.88B2.52B2.12B
Operating Cash Flow3.58B3.68B2.93B2.57B2.18B
Investing Cash Flow-2.03B-2.18B-1.96B-1.89B-2.99B
Financing Cash Flow-1.03B-852.49M-1.06B-771.99M5.83M

W. R. Berkley Corporation Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price71.70
Price Trends
50DMA
69.52
Positive
100DMA
71.32
Positive
200DMA
70.94
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
0.67
Negative
RSI
59.02
Neutral
STOCH
69.14
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For WRB, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 71.7 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 70.44, above the 50-day MA of 69.52, and above the 200-day MA of 70.94, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.67 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 59.02 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 69.14 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for WRB.

W. R. Berkley Corporation Risk Analysis

W. R. Berkley Corporation disclosed 29 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. W. R. Berkley Corporation reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

W. R. Berkley Corporation Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
81
Outperform
$27.25B16.1119.67%1.88%11.08%22.01%
78
Outperform
$9.02B18.0029.25%0.17%18.13%15.69%
77
Outperform
$25.52B10.8116.04%2.10%-0.63%-30.68%
74
Outperform
$11.08B13.1918.13%6.71%-10.75%
74
Outperform
$26.06B12.25-6.96%-26.28%
71
Outperform
$13.00B10.249.03%8.03%5.41%-23.52%
68
Neutral
$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
WRB
W. R. Berkley Corporation
71.70
10.34
16.85%
AFG
American Financial Group
132.98
14.90
12.62%
CINF
Cincinnati Financial
163.98
19.50
13.50%
CNA
CNA Financial
48.02
2.82
6.23%
MKL
Markel
2,072.47
139.03
7.19%
KNSL
Kinsale Capital Group
389.67
-41.38
-9.60%

W. R. Berkley Corporation Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyM&A Transactions
Mitsui Sumitomo Acquires Stake in W. R. Berkley
Positive
Dec 5, 2025

On December 5, 2025, W. R. Berkley Corporation announced that Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. (MSI) has acquired beneficial ownership of at least 12.5% of the company’s outstanding common stock through agreements with the Berkley family. MSI’s shares will be voted according to the Berkley family’s recommendations, with the investment expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026. This acquisition signifies a strategic partnership and potential influence on the company’s governance, highlighting MSI’s interest in expanding its presence in the U.S. insurance market.

The most recent analyst rating on (WRB) stock is a Sell with a $64.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on W. R. Berkley Corporation stock, see the WRB Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Feb 28, 2026