W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Given New $62.00 Price Target at Barclays

08 Apr 2026, 17:34 by Michael Walen · The Markets Daily

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB – Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by analysts at Barclays from $64.00 to $62.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “underweight” rating on the insurance provider’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective would indicate a potential downside of 7.20% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on WRB. Truist Financial set a $80.00 target price on W.R. Berkley and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Brean Capital cut W.R. Berkley from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $73.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Evercore reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Monday, March 9th. UBS Group set a $71.00 target price on W.R. Berkley in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of W.R. Berkley from $73.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.06.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on WRB

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance

Shares of WRB traded up $0.13 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $66.81. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 588,315 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,265,332. W.R. Berkley has a one year low of $63.65 and a one year high of $78.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.02 billion, a PE ratio of 15.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.37. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $68.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $71.33.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The insurance provider reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.14 by ($0.01). W.R. Berkley had a net margin of 12.10% and a return on equity of 18.17%. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.13 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that W.R. Berkley will post 4.33 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at W.R. Berkley

In related news, major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co L. Mitsui purchased 112,176 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $72.20 per share, with a total value of $8,099,107.20. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 58,780,450 shares in the company, valued at $4,243,948,490. The trade was a 0.19% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Over the last three months, insiders bought 7,294,987 shares of company stock valued at $503,481,336. Corporate insiders own 23.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in W.R. Berkley during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. increased its stake in shares of W.R. Berkley by 140.0% during the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 360 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.82% of the company’s stock.

More W.R. Berkley News

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

Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple near‑ and medium‑term EPS estimates for WRB (small upward revisions to Q3 2026, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, FY2026 and FY2028). These steady, incremental upgrades suggest underwriters see slightly better earnings momentum, which supports valuation and helped lift the stock.
Positive Sentiment: Insider and institutional accumulation: InsiderTrades reports heavy Q1 insider activity for WRB (37 acquisitions) and notes Sumitomo Insurance expanding its stake with an intent to reach ~15% ownership; institutions own ~70%. Large insider/institutional buying is a strong confidence signal and can reduce downside volatility. Top 5 Insider Buys From Q1: Buy, Sell, or Hold in Q2? (WRB)
Neutral Sentiment: Income angle: A Seeking Alpha piece highlights WRB’s baby bonds as a discounted source of investment‑grade income — useful for yield‑focused investors but unlikely to move the equity much on its own. W. R. Berkley’s Baby Bonds: Investment-Grade Income At A Discount
Neutral Sentiment: Mixed sell‑side views: Coverage in The Globe and Mail notes conflicting analyst sentiment on WRB (some bullish estimate tweaks vs. at least one cautious firm), which can keep trading rangebound as investors weigh opposing views. Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Financial Companies: MS and WRB
Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley published a pessimistic price forecast for WRB, which could cap upside if other investors follow the bear case or if the note leads to reduced buy‑side conviction. That caution may explain muted volume despite insider buying. Morgan Stanley Issues Pessimistic Forecast for W.R. Berkley

W.R. Berkley Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.