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Investors looking for stocks in the Insurance - Property and Casualty sector might want to consider either Allstate (ALL) or W.R. Berkley (WRB).

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 24th, 2026

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB – Free Report) by 3.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,768,180 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 129,801 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 1.01% of W.R. Berkley worth $249,757,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in W.R. Berkley in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 140.0% in the fourth quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 360 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. DV Equities LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.82% of the company’s stock.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance Shares of WRB stock opened at $73.41 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 0.29. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a one year low of $62.87 and a one year high of $78.96. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $69.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.40.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 20th. The insurance provider reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.19. W.R. Berkley had a net margin of 12.94% and a return on equity of 19.49%. The company had revenue of $3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.28 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.05 EPS. W.R. Berkley’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.74 EPS for the current year.

W.R. Berkley Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 23rd were given a $0.10 dividend. This is an increase from W.R. Berkley’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 23rd. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkley’s dividend payout ratio is 8.21%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have commented on WRB shares. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of W.R. Berkley from $78.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group set a $68.00 price objective on W.R. Berkley and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $74.00 price objective (up from $70.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Atlantic Securities set a $74.00 target price on W.R. Berkley in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on W.R. Berkley from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.R. Berkley presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $70.44.

Check Out Our Latest Report on W.R. Berkley

W.R. Berkley Profile (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.

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.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than W.R. Berkley Premium Retail’s Stress Test Is Separating Winners From Losers D-Wave Quantum or a Quantum ETF: Which Is the Better Bet? GE Vernova Just Sent a Mixed AI Signal to Investors Alphabet Crushed Earnings, But One Number Spooked the Market Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WRB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB – Free Report).

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 22nd, 2026

California Public Employees Retirement System lowered its holdings in W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB – Free Report) by 35.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 502,561 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 270,746 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System owned approximately 0.13% of W.R. Berkley worth $33,310,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the fourth quarter worth approximately $3,542,919,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in W.R. Berkley by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 37,033,581 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,596,795,000 after purchasing an additional 309,828 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in W.R. Berkley by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 14,921,114 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,143,256,000 after buying an additional 149,605 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the 4th quarter worth $435,752,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,913,337 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $344,523,000 after buying an additional 20,538 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.82% of the company’s stock.

W.R. Berkley Stock Performance NYSE WRB opened at $72.39 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $68.72 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a 12-month low of $62.87 and a 12-month high of $78.96. The firm has a market cap of $26.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.86, a PEG ratio of 3.45 and a beta of 0.29.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 20th. The insurance provider reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.19. W.R. Berkley had a return on equity of 19.49% and a net margin of 12.94%.The firm had revenue of $3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.28 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.05 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.66 EPS for the current year.

W.R. Berkley Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 23rd were paid a $0.10 dividend. This is an increase from W.R. Berkley’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 23rd. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. W.R. Berkley’s payout ratio is presently 8.21%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets WRB has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Mizuho increased their target price on W.R. Berkley from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded W.R. Berkley from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Brean Capital cut W.R. Berkley from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $73.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Bank of America restated an “underperform” rating and issued a $68.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $62.00 target price (down from $64.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, W.R. Berkley has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $70.44.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on W.R. Berkley

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

Positive Sentiment: WRB beat Q2 earnings expectations and posted better-than-expected revenue, suggesting solid underlying business momentum and stronger-than-anticipated underwriting results. Positive Sentiment: The quarter benefited from premium growth, higher investment income, and lower catastrophe losses, all of which are favorable for insurers’ profitability. Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive after the report, with Truist raising its price target to $83 and maintaining a buy rating, while Mizuho also lifted its target to $74. Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage noted that revenue missed certain Wall Street expectations in a separate headline, but the earnings beat and strong insurance fundamentals appear to be outweighing that concern. About W.R. Berkley (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.

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.

See Also Five stocks we like better than W.R. Berkley Confidence Is Back, But Earnings Show the Consumer Is Being Picky AeroVironment’s Stock Is Down, But Drone Demand Is Taking Off 3M’s Redemption Arc: Can Q2 Earnings Change the Narrative? 3 Photonics Companies Making Quantum Tech Possible Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WRB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB – Free Report).

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W. R. Berkley Corporation (WRB) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Palomar’s High-Risk Insurance Strategy Is Paying Off BigW.R. Berkley NYSE: WRB reported higher second-quarter 2026 operating earnings, record investment income and continued premium growth in its insurance segment, while management cautioned that competition is intensifying in parts of the property and reinsurance markets.

On the company’s earnings call, Chairman, CEO and President Rob Berkley opened by acknowledging the death of company founder Bill Berkley, thanking investors and others for their support. He said Bill Berkley’s “spirit, values, and priorities remain foundational” to the company and emphasized that the business had been institutionalized as “a team sport, not an individual one.”

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Operating Earnings Rise 21% The Smart Glasses Gold Rush Is Leaving Old-School Eyewear BehindExecutive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Rich Baio said operating earnings per diluted share rose 21% to $1.27, or $497 million. That produced an annualized return on beginning-of-year equity of 20.5%.

Baio said the quarter benefited from what he described as the company’s second-best quarterly pretax underwriting income, at $318 million, and record quarterly pretax net investment income of $419 million. Stockholders’ equity rose to a record of more than $9.8 billion.

S&P 500's surge to new highs: Bull trap hiding in plain sight?The company returned $334 million of capital to shareholders during the quarter through regular and special dividends and share repurchases. Baio said that included $223 million in regular and special dividends and about $111 million in share repurchases. Over the prior 12 months, the company returned more than $1.3 billion, or roughly 14% of stockholders’ equity, and nearly 70% of first-half 2026 earnings.

Underwriting performance included a current accident year combined ratio excluding catastrophe losses of 88.1% and a calendar-year combined ratio of 90%. Catastrophe losses declined to $62 million, or 2 loss ratio points, from 3.2 points in the prior-year quarter. The current accident year loss ratio excluding catastrophes was 59.6%, compared with 59.9% a year earlier. The expense ratio was flat at 28.5%.

Insurance Segment Grows, Reinsurance Shrinks Baio said the insurance segment generated record gross premiums written of $3.8 billion, up 5.4%, while net premiums written increased 3.7% to a record $3.1 billion. The segment’s current accident year loss ratio excluding catastrophe losses was 61%, comparable with the first quarter. Its expense ratio was 28.3%, flat with the prior year, producing a current accident year combined ratio excluding catastrophe losses of 89.3%.

By contrast, Baio said the Reinsurance & Monoline Excess segment continued to face “heightened competition” in both property and casualty lines, resulting in a decline in net premiums written to $306 million. However, lower catastrophe and non-catastrophe property losses supported an underlying current accident year combined ratio excluding catastrophes of 78.7%.

Rob Berkley said market conditions remain highly fragmented by product line, increasing the importance of underwriting expertise and discipline. He expressed concern about parts of the managing general underwriter, or MGU, model, citing delegated authority and what he called a lack of alignment of interests. He said the most concerning behavior is in property, particularly shared and layered programs, and said some of that pressure is spreading into other property markets.

In casualty, Berkley said the broader market remains more disciplined and attractive, though he pointed to habitational and liquor liability as isolated areas of concern, citing examples where rates were being cut by 20% to 30%. He also said reinsurance is “particularly concerning,” with property eroding rapidly and casualty not having experienced the same earlier pricing improvement as property.

Rate Increases Moderate as Company Pursues Growth Berkley said top-line growth is being driven by the insurance business, with growth in the mid-single digits. He said the company’s rate increase in the quarter, excluding workers’ compensation, was 3.8%.

He cautioned against overreacting to the lower rate figure, saying it was consistent with management’s prior comments. Berkley said that where the company sees attractive margins, its priority is to increase exposure or policy count while still seeking rate increases, though “not pressing down on it as hard.”

During the question-and-answer session, Berkley said management is encouraged by early July top-line trends but acknowledged that the month was not complete. He said the company has “considerable room” to adjust rates where margins warrant it, but would not do so prematurely. He described the approach as an effort to optimize between rate and growth.

Berkley said renewal retention remains around 80%, suggesting a stable book of business. Asked about whether pricing changes were concentrated in short-tail or casualty lines, he said the company’s actions were more granular than that, using “a scalpel” rather than “a cleaver” and assessing opportunities by subclasses and geography.

In commercial auto, Berkley said the company is taking significantly more rate than the aggregate figures may suggest, while exposure is coming down “pretty quickly.” He said the auto line also includes Berkley One, which offsets some of the commercial auto dynamics.

Investment Income Hits Record Baio said net invested assets rose to $34.2 billion, aided by strong operating cash flow despite significant capital returns. Operating cash flow was $800 million in the quarter, up from $700 million in the comparable period, according to Rob Berkley.

Income from the core investment portfolio rose 13% from the prior year to $371 million, while investment funds increased 5.6% to $28.8 million. Baio said the credit quality of the portfolio remains strong at double-A-minus. The duration of the fixed maturity portfolio, including cash and equivalents, increased to 3.2 years, still below the 3.9-year average life of insurance reserves.

Rob Berkley said the company has a “fair amount of room” to extend duration if appropriate. He added that new money rates are above the domestic book yield of 4.8%, which he said provides further upside for investment income.

Management Highlights AI Investments Berkley said the company is making significant investments in technology, data and artificial intelligence while keeping the expense ratio at 30% or better. He said the company does not intend to build its own large language model, but instead plans to use available tools and apply them across its roughly 60 operating businesses.

He cited underwriting workbenches as one area of progress, saying the company has seen early efficiency gains of more than 20% where the technology has been implemented. In claims, he said the company is using AI and other tools to move toward straight-through processing where appropriate, noting that about 50% of claims settle for $5,000 or less.

Looking ahead, Berkley said some parts of the market, especially property, may become more difficult. However, he said the company continues to see opportunities in much of the casualty market and in selected short-tail areas, including accident and health and private client personal lines.

About W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB)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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

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GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) today reported its second quarter 2026 results. Summary Financial Data (Amounts in thousands, except per share data)   Second Quarter   Six Months   2026   2025   2026   2025                 Gross premiums written $ 4,144,000   $ 3,977,769   $ 7,929,766   $ 7,661,708 Net premiums written 3,430,234   3,351,439   6,604,580   6,484,742                 Net income to common stockholders 452,261   401,288   967,478   818,860 Net.

Key Takeaways W.R. Berkley is expected to report Q2 revenue growth of 1.7% and EPS growth of 3.8%.Premium growth and higher investment income may offset higher catastrophe losses.WRB's disciplined underwriting, expense control and share buybacks are expected to aid profitability. W.R. Berkley Corporation (WRB - Free Report) is expected to register an improvement in both top and bottom lines when it reports second-quarter 2026 results on July 20, after market close.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WRB’s second-quarter revenues is pegged at $3.7 billion, indicating 1.7% growth from the year-ago reported figure.

The consensus estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.09 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WRB’s second-quarter earnings has remained unchanged over the past 30 days. The estimate suggests a year-over-year increase of 3.8%.

What the Zacks Model Unveils About WRBOur proven model predict an earnings beat for W.R. Berkley this time around. A stock needs to have the right combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold). This is not the case, as you can see below:

Earnings ESP: W.R. Berkley has an Earnings ESP of +1.84%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate of $1.11 is pegged higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.09. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

W.R. Berkley Corporation Price and EPS Surprise

W.R. Berkley Corporation price-eps-surprise | W.R. Berkley Corporation Quote

Zacks Rank: W.R. Berkley currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Factors Likely to Shape Q2 Results of WRBGross premiums written in the Insurance segment are likely to have been supported by healthy momentum in other liability, short-tail lines, professional liability, workers' compensation and commercial auto. We expect the metric to be $3.6 billion, indicating an increase of 1.8% from the year-ago reported number.

The Reinsurance & Monoline Excess segment's gross premiums written are expected to have improved modestly, supported by selective underwriting, although increased competition in the property reinsurance market is likely to have tempered growth. We expect the metric to be $375 million, suggesting an improvement of 1.1% from the year-ago reported number.  

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 premiums earned is pegged at $3.16 billion, indicating an increase of 1.9% from the year-ago reported quarter. Our estimate for the metric is pegged at $3.12 billion, indicating a 0.7% upside from the year-ago reported number.

The increase in income from fixed-maturity securities, investment funds, arbitrage trading accounts, real estate and equity securities is likely to have aided net investment income. Strong operating cash flows and higher reinvestment yields are expected to have further supported investment income growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 net investment income is pegged at $395 million, indicating an increase of 4.3% from the year-ago reported quarter.Our estimate for the metric is pegged at $407 million, indicating a 7.3% upside from the year-ago reported number.

Higher losses and loss expenses, other operating costs and expenses, and expenses from non-insurance businesses are likely to increase costs. We expect total expenses to increased 1.7% to $3.2 billion.

Higher net premiums earned and continued expense discipline are expected to have supported the expense ratio, which management expects to remain comfortably below 30% in 2026. We estimate the metric to be 28.30 in the to-be-reported quarter.

The combined ratio is expected to have remained favorable, supported by disciplined underwriting and healthy pricing in casualty lines. However, the second quarter likely experienced elevated severe convective storm , which is likely to have increased catastrophe losses, partially offsetting these benefits. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pinned at 92, while our estimate for the combined ratio is pegged at 93.39.

Continued share buybacks are likely to have provided additional support to the bottom line.

Stocks to ConsiderHere are three P&C insurance stocks you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat:

Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +8.84% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.77, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 10.1%.

CINF’s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four reported quarters.

Chubb Limited (CB - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.09% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $6.60, indicating a year-over-year increase of 7.4%.

CB’s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four reported quarters.

The Allstate Corporation (ALL - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +23.32% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $4.92, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 17.1%.

ALL’s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four reported quarters.

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GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) today announced the appointment of Paul J. Stock as president of Carolina Casualty. The appointment is effective immediately.

Mr. Stock has more than 20 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry, focused on the transportation sector across multiple disciplines, including claims, product management, underwriting, risk management, telematics, and commercial vehicle technology. He joined Carolina Casualty in early 2025 as divisional president, where he led the transformation of the claims and risk management departments, in addition to several other functional areas.

Commenting on the appointment, W. Robert Berkley, Jr., chairman, chief executive officer, and president of W. R. Berkley Corporation, said: "Paul has brought extensive leadership experience and expertise to the business. We are pleased that he has assumed the role of president at Carolina Casualty to lead our team in this dynamic market.”

Carolina Casualty is a national provider of primary commercial insurance products and services to the transportation industry. It provides tailored transportation insurance solutions that fulfill evolving business needs on an admitted basis in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For further information about the products and services available from Carolina Casualty, please visit www.carolinacas.com.

Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company that is among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States and operates worldwide in two segments of the property casualty insurance business: Insurance and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess. For further information about W. R. Berkley Corporation, please visit www.berkley.com.

More News From W. R. Berkley Corporation

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OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Ratings (Long-Term ICR) to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent), all associated Long-Term Issue Ratings (Long-Term IR) and indicative Long-Term IRs for securities issued by W. R. Berkley Corporation (W. R. Berkley) (Greenwich, CT) [NYSE: WRB]. At the same time, AM Best has upgraded the Long-Term ICR to “aa” (Superior) from “aa-” (Superior) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) of Berkley Insurance Company (Wilmington, DE) and its reinsured subsidiaries and affiliates, collectively referred to as W. R. Berkley Insurance Group (Berkley Group). AM Best also has upgraded the Long-Term ICR to “aa” (Superior) from “aa-” (Superior) and affirmed the FSR of A+ (Superior) of Berkley Life and Health Insurance Company (Berkley Life and Health) (Urbandale, IA). The outlook of the Long-Term ICRs has been revised to stable from positive, while the outlook of the FSRs is stable. (See below for a detailed list of the companies and ratings.)

The Credit Ratings (ratings) of the Berkley Group reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its strong operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

The upgrading of the Long-Term ICRs reflects the Berkley Group’s improved balance sheet strength fundamentals, driven by strong underwriting results and a robust investment portfolio that are driving consistently strong returns, consistent organic surplus growth over the most recent 10-year period and its strong debt leverage.

The Berkley Group’s balance sheet strength assessment is anchored by its strongest risk-adjusted capitalization as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Debt leverage has been consistently trending downward over the last five years and was 22.6, unadjusted as of year-end 2025. Interest coverage and liquidity metrics remain strong. The Berkley Group maintains a well-diversified investment portfolio to support its liabilities and is focused on creating the most favorable return, while maintaining its risk tolerance levels.

The Berkley Group maintains a favorable market share in its core lines of business, as well as continuing to grow organically through new businesses and opportunities. The group’s strong operating results and profitability metrics point to agile underwriting and pricing discipline, as well as effective risk management expertise. The Berkley Group reported net premium growth across most of its core business in first-quarter 2026, with a GAAP return-on-equity (ROE) ratio of 22.1% and GAAP return-on-revenue of 16.5%. Berkley Group’s effective ERM practices and risk-modeling capabilities are supportive of its current investment and operational risks as demonstrated by its lack of volatility in its financial results and the enterprise’s overall capitalization.

The stable outlooks of the FSRs reflect AM Best’s expectation that the group will maintain its balance sheet assessment in the strongest range over the intermediate term with strong operating results contributing to surplus growth.

The ratings of Berkley Life and Health reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate ERM. The ratings also reflect the financial and operational support of the parent company.

The upgrading of the Long-Term ICR reflects Berkley Life and Health’s improved operating performance fundamentals over the last five years, driven by steady organic premium revenue growth, consistent underwriting income, and strong return on equity and return on revenue.

Berkley Life and Health’s balance sheet strength assessment is supported by its strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization as measured by BCAR. The company maintained a BCAR in the strongest category while reporting favorable liquidity ratios and positive cash flow at year-end 2025. The company continues to hold a conservative, high-quality investment portfolio consisting of fixed-income securities and cash & short-term investments.

Berkley Life and Health has grown net premiums written annually at an above average 14.1% compound annual growth rate over the last five years owing to new and renewal sales of its core medical stop-loss and group captive products. The company has reported sizable annual net underwriting income, which has trended upward during this period and has maintained a strong five-year average ROE and return-on-revenue above 18% at year-end 2025.

Berkley Life and Health is a leader in the group captive market and maintains a niche in the small group medical stop-loss space. However, the medical stop-loss market remains highly competitive and is dominated by larger national carriers. Berkley Life and Health continues to benefit from explicit and implicit support provided by W. R. Berkley, and is fully integrated into the parent organization’s operations, strategic plans and ERM program.

The Long-Term ICRs have been upgraded to “aa” (Superior) from “aa-” (Superior) while the FSR of A+ (Superior) has been affirmed, with the Long-Term ICR outlooks revised to stable from positive and the FSR outlook at stable for the following members of W. R. Berkley Insurance Group:

Acadia Insurance Company Admiral Indemnity Company Admiral Insurance Company Berkley Casualty Company Berkley Assurance Company Berkley Insurance Company Berkley Luxury Insurance Company Berkley National Insurance Company Berkley Prestige Insurance Company Berkley Regional Insurance Company Berkley Specialty Insurance Company Carolina Casualty Insurance Company Clermont Insurance Company Continental Western Insurance Company Firemen’s Insurance Company of Washington, D.C. Gemini Insurance Company Great Divide Insurance Company Intrepid Casualty Company Intrepid Insurance Company Intrepid Specialty Insurance Company Key Risk Insurance Company Midwest Employers Casualty Company Nautilus Insurance Company Preferred Employers Insurance Company Queen’s Island Insurance Company, Ltd. Riverport Insurance Company StarNet Insurance Company Tri-State Insurance Company of Minnesota Union Insurance Company Union Standard Lloyds W. R. Berkley Europe AG Berkley International Seguros Mexico S.A. Berkley International Compania de Garantias Mexico, S.A. de C.V. The following Long-Term IRs have been upgraded with outlooks revised to stable from positive:

W. R. Berkley Corporation—
-- to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) on $250 million, 6.25% senior unsecured notes, due 2037
-- to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) on $350 million, 4.75% senior unsecured notes, due 2044
-- to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) on 470 million, 4.0% senior unsecured notes, due 2050
-- to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) on $400 million, 3.55% senior unsecured notes, due 2052
-- to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) on $350 million, 3.15% senior unsecured notes, due 2061
-- to “a-” (Excellent) from “bbb+” (Good) on $185 million, 5.7% subordinated debentures, due 2058
-- to “a-” (Excellent) from “bbb+” (Good) on $300 million, 5.1% subordinated debentures, due 2059
-- to “a-” (Excellent) from “bbb+” (Good) on $250 million, 4.25% subordinated debentures, due 2060
-- to “a-” (Excellent) from “bbb+” (Good) on $300 million, 4.125% subordinated debentures, due 2061

The following indicative Long-Term IRs under the shelf registration have been upgraded with outlooks revised to stable from positive:

W. R. Berkley Corporation—
-- to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) on senior unsecured debt
-- to “a-” (Excellent) from “bbb+” (Good) on subordinated debt
-- to “bbb+” (Good) from “bbb” (Good) on preferred stock

W. R. Berkley Capital Trust III—
-- to “bbb+” (Good) from “bbb” (Good) on preferred securities

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2026 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +24% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: W.R. Berkley (WRB - Free Report) Founded in 1967 and based in Greenwich, CT, W.R. Berkley Corp. is a Fortune 500 company. It is one of the nation’s largest commercial lines property casualty insurance providers. The company offers a variety of insurance services from reinsurance to workers’ comp third-party administrators (TPAs) across the United States and in 87 other countries. 

WRB is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 14.58; value investors should take notice.

Eight analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.11 to $4.67 per share. WRB also boasts an average earnings surprise of +4.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, WRB should be on investors' short list.

For the quarter ended March 2026, W.R. Berkley (WRB - Free Report) reported revenue of $3.71 billion, up 5% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.30, compared to $1.01 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.28% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.72 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.13, the EPS surprise was +15.04%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how W.R. Berkley performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Loss ratio - Total: 62.1% versus 62.5% estimated by three analysts on average.Expense Ratio - Total: 28.6% compared to the 28.4% average estimate based on three analysts.Combined Ratio - Total: 90.7% versus 90.9% estimated by three analysts on average.Loss ratio - Reinsurance & Monoline Excess: 48.3% versus 54.2% estimated by two analysts on average.Expense ratio - Reinsurance & Monoline Excess: 30.3% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 29.1%.Revenues from non-insurance businesses: $156.55 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $132.99 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +21.4%.Insurance service fees: $28.23 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $29.27 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -2.4%.Net premiums earned: $3.12 billion compared to the $3.19 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +3.4% year over year.Net investment income: $404.33 million compared to the $389.14 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +12.2% year over year.Net premiums earned- Reinsurance & Monoline Excess: $349.68 million compared to the $384.19 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -5.5% year over year.Other income (loss): $1.82 million versus $1.06 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +242% change.Net premiums earned- Insurance: $2.77 billion versus $2.79 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4.7% change.View all Key Company Metrics for W.R. Berkley here>>>

Shares of W.R. Berkley have returned +1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +9.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

WR Berkley (NYSE:WRB) reported mixed results for the first quarter after the closing bell on Tuesday.

The company posted quarterly earnings of $1.30 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $1.15 per share. The company reported quarterly sales of $3.690 billion which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $3.759 billion.

WR Berkley shares gained 2.4% to trade at $66.94 on Wednesday.

These analysts made changes to their price targets on WR Berkley following earnings announcement.

Truist Securities analyst Mark Hughes maintained WR Berkley with a Buy and lowered the price target from $80 to $78. Barclays analyst Alex Scott maintained the stock with an Underweight rating and raised the price target from $62 to $64. Considering buying WRB stock? Here’s what analysts think:

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Key Takeaways W.R. Berkley's Q1 net premiums rose 1.3% to $3.17B, missing estimates. W.R. Berkley's revenues grew 4% on higher premiums, investment income and other business gains. W.R. Berkley's combined ratio improved to 90.7, while catastrophe losses fell YoY. W.R. Berkley Corporation (WRB - Free Report) reported first-quarter 2026 operating income of $1.30 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 15%. The bottom line increased 28.7% year over year.

The insurer benefited from higher premiums, strong investment income growth and lower catastrophe losses.

Behind the HeadlinesW.R. Berkley’s net premiums written were about $3.2 billion, up 1.3% year over year. The figure missed our estimate as well as the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.18 billion.

Operating revenues totaled $ 3.7 billion, up 5% year over year, driven by higher net premiums earned, improved net investment income, higher revenues from non-insurance businesses and increased other income. However, the top line missed the consensus estimate by 0.28%.

Net investment income grew 12.2% to $404.3 million, supported by higher invested assets, better yields and strong fund income. The figure topped our estimate of $387 million. The consensus estimate was $401 million.

Total expenses increased 2.2% to $3 billion, caused by higher losses and loss expenses, other operating costs and expenses, and expenses from non-insurance businesses. The figure was lower than our estimate of $3.7 billion.

The loss ratio improved 100 basis points (bps) to 62.2, while the expense ratio deteriorated 80 bps year over year to 28.6.

Catastrophe losses of $75.7 million were lower than the $111.1 million incurred in the year-ago quarter.

The consolidated combined ratio (a measure of underwriting profitability) improved 20 basis points year over year to 90.7, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 91.8.

Q1 Segment DetailsNet premiums written at the Insurance segment increased 3.2% year over year to $2.78 billion in the quarter, primarily driven by higher premiums from other liability, short-tail lines, auto and professional liability. The figure was slightly higher than our estimate.

The combined ratio deteriorated 50 basis points year over year to 92.2. Our estimate was 92.8.

Net premiums written in the Reinsurance & Monoline Excess segment increased 10.4% year over year to $394.6 million. The figure beat our estimate of $393.8 million.

The combined ratio improved 680 bps to 78.6, which matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Our estimate for the metric was 86.

Financial UpdateW.R. Berkley exited the first quarter of 2026 with total assets worth $44.3 billion compared with $43.9 billion at the 2025-end level.

Senior notes and other debt increased 1.1% from the 2025-end levels to $1.8 billion.

Book value per share increased 1.6% from 2025-end levels to $26.13.

Cash flow from operations was $667.9 million, down 10.2% year over year.

Operating return on equity in the first quarter increased 120 basis points year over year to 21.2%.

Capital DeploymentTotal capital returned to shareholders was $336.1 million, comprising $302.4 million in share repurchases and $33.7 million in regular dividends.

WRB’s Zacks RankW.R. Berkley currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Performance of Other InsurersThe Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV - Free Report) reported that first-quarter 2026 core income rose to $7.71 per share in the current quarter from $1.91 in the prior-year quarter, and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 10%. Travelers’ total revenues increased 1% from the year-ago quarter to $11.9 billion, primarily driven by higher premiums, net investment income and other revenues. The top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.74%.

Net written premiums increased 1% year over year to a record $10.8 billion. Net investment income increased 9% year over year to $833 million. Travelers witnessed an underwriting gain of $1.7 billion compared with an underwriting loss of $305 million in the prior-year quarter. The consolidated underlying combined ratio of 85.3% decreased 50 bps year over year.

The Progressive Corporation (PGR - Free Report) posted first-quarter 2026 earnings per share of $4.96, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.5%. The bottom line increased 6.7% year over year. Total revenues grew 8.2% year over year to $22.3 billion, driven by higher net premiums earned, an increase in net investment income and higher service revenues. However, the top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.2%.

Net premiums written were $23.6 billion in the quarter, up 6.5% from $22.2 billion a year ago. Net realized loss on securities was $120 million, narrower than the loss of $212 million in the year-ago quarter. The combined ratio deteriorated 40 bps from the prior-year quarter’s level to 86.4.

Upcoming ReleaseRLI Corp. (RLI - Free Report) is set to report results for the first quarter ended March 2026 on April 22 after the market close.

RLI is a specialty property-casualty (P&C) insurance company that is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.85 per share in its upcoming report, representing a year-over-year decline of 7.6%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.9% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. RLI's revenues are expected to be $453.45 million, up 4.2% from the year-ago quarter.

Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.93% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: W.R. Berkley (WRB - Free Report) Founded in 1967 and based in Greenwich, CT, W.R. Berkley Corp. is a Fortune 500 company. It is one of the nation’s largest commercial lines property casualty insurance providers. The company offers a variety of insurance services from reinsurance to workers’ comp third-party administrators (TPAs) across the United States and in 87 other countries. 

WRB is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Momentum investors should take note of this Finance stock. WRB has a Momentum Style Score of A, and shares are up 2.8% over the past four weeks.

For fiscal 2026, six analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.04 to $4.60 per share. WRB boasts an average earnings surprise of +4.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, WRB should be on investors' short list.

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: W.R. Berkley (WRB - Free Report) Founded in 1967 and based in Greenwich, CT, W.R. Berkley Corp. is a Fortune 500 company. It is one of the nation’s largest commercial lines property casualty insurance providers. The company offers a variety of insurance services from reinsurance to workers’ comp third-party administrators (TPAs) across the United States and in 87 other countries. 

WRB is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. WRB has a Growth Style Score of B, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 7.4% for the current fiscal year.

For fiscal 2026, eight analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.10 to $4.65 per share. WRB boasts an average earnings surprise of +4.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, WRB should be on investors' short list.

Key Takeaways WRB is growing through specialty commercial lines, international expansion and strong retention rates.W.R. Berkley posted a 9.8% CAGR in net investment income from 2018 through 2025.WRB held nearly $2.3B in cash while facing competition and international market risks. Shares of W.R. Berkley Corporation (WRB - Free Report) have lost 10.9% in the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 4.6%. Its share price as of Wednesday was $65.29, down 17.3% from its 52-week high of $78.96.

Slowing premium growth, competitive pricing pressure, and a rising expense ratio likely have weighed on the insurer. Despite this, the company continues to maintain strong underwriting performance, high return on equity (ROE), and growing investment income. It remains well-positioned to grow if premium growth stabilizes and insurance pricing conditions remain favorable.

Shares of other insurers like Arch Capital Group Ltd. (ACGL - Free Report) , RLI Corp. (RLI - Free Report) and Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. (KNSL - Free Report) have lost 3%, 31.8%, and 34.5%, respectively, in the past year.

WRB Shares Are ExpensiveWRB shares are trading at a premium to the industry. Its price-to-book value of 2.49X is higher than the industry average of 1.4X.

WRB’s Encouraging Growth ProjectionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for W.R. Berkley’s 2026 earnings per share indicates a year-over-year increase of 7.9% The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $15 billion, implying a year-over-year improvement of 2.9%.

The consensus estimate for 2027 earnings per share and revenues indicates an increase of 3% and 4%, respectively, from the corresponding 2026 estimates.

WRB’s Favorable Return on CapitalReturn on equity for the trailing 12 months was 18.9%, which compared favorably with the industry’s 7.4%. This reflects its efficiency in utilizing shareholders’ funds.

ROIC in the trailing 12 months was 8.7%, better than the industry average of 5.7%. This reflects WRB’s efficiency in utilizing funds to generate income.

Factors Acting in Favor of WRB StockAs part of its growth strategy, W.R. Berkley has been focusing on commercial lines, including excess and surplus lines, admitted lines and specialty personal lines, where it has a competitive advantage. The company has diversified its business to offset cyclical pressures and ensure stability in cash flows despite cyclical gyrations.

The insurance business, which contributes the lion’s share to net premiums written, is poised to grow on the strength of several new startup units across varied business lines. Expansion of international business that offers diversification benefits, rate increase, market dislocations and high retention.

W.R. Berkley remains focused on expanding selectively in attractive global markets and thus has operations in the emerging markets of the UK, Continental Europe, South America, Canada, Scandinavia, Asia and Australia. The company’s international business has witnessed consistent premium growth over many years. Given its solid track record in the past, we expect the company’s international business to post increasing premiums going forward.

Net investment income has been witnessing improvement over the last few years, as evident from the CAGR of 9.8% in the last eight years (2018-2025). Record net invested assets and higher new money rates on growing fixed maturity portfolio, along with strong operating cash flows, are driving net investment income. Higher investment fund income arising from transportation and financial services-related sectors should also add to the upside.

The insurer is leveraging AI across underwriting, claims processing, risk assessment, customer service, fraud detection and marketing. WRB is at the forefront of AI integration, setting a benchmark for innovation and excellence.

W.R. Berkley maintains a solid balance sheet with sufficient liquidity and strong cash flows. WRB boasts more than 60 straight quarters of favorable reserve development, given its prudent underwriting. As of March 31, 2026, the company had cash and cash equivalents of nearly $2.3 billion. A strong capital position helps W.R. Berkley in wealth distribution via share repurchases, special dividends and dividend hikes that enhance shareholders’ value.

Risks for WRBWRB’s expanding international operations expose it to increased political, legal, regulatory and economic risks, including foreign currency and credit risk. The insurer also faces additional risks that could have an adverse effect on its results of operations and financial condition.

WRB competes with a large number of other companies across selected lines of business. Increased competition affects the profitability of existing and new businesses. This intense competition could cause the supply and demand for insurance or reinsurance to change.

End NotesThe property and casualty insurer is set to grow on rate increases, reserving discipline, diversification benefits, momentum in international business, investment in alternative assets, and consistent cash flow. However, stiff competition and exposure to foreign currency and credit risk are the main concerns.

Banking on consistent cash flow, W.R. Berkley announced a 12.5% quarterly dividend hike in June 2025, marking an increase every year since 2005. Its dividend yield of 0.5% is higher than the industry average of 0.3%, making it an attractive pick for yield-seeking investors.

Given the premium valuation, it is better to stay cautious about this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: W.R. Berkley (WRB - Free Report) Founded in 1967 and based in Greenwich, CT, W.R. Berkley Corp. is a Fortune 500 company. It is one of the nation’s largest commercial lines property casualty insurance providers. The company offers a variety of insurance services from reinsurance to workers’ comp third-party administrators (TPAs) across the United States and in 87 other countries. 

WRB is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 13.78; value investors should take notice.

Eight analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.09 to $4.67 per share. WRB boasts an average earnings surprise of +4.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, WRB should be on investors' short list.

Key Takeaways WRB combines regular dividends, special dividends and share repurchases to return excess capital. In June 2026, the company raised its dividend, announced a special dividend and restored buyback capacity. Strong underwriting and investment income supported a 21.2% annualized ROE in the first quarter of 2026. W. R. Berkley Corporation's (WRB - Free Report) capital deployment strategy is centered on maximizing long-term risk-adjusted returns. The company generates substantial excess capital through underwriting profits, investment income and operating cash flow and consistently distributes excess capital and delivers long-term value through a mix of methods.

WRB has built a strong reputation for returning excess capital to shareholders through a combination of regular dividends, special dividends, share repurchases and stock splits. Berkley has increased its regular dividend over time while supplementing it with special dividends when earnings and capital generation are particularly strong. The company has maintained dividend payments for more than five decades, reflecting the stability of its specialty insurance franchise.

Share repurchases are a key component of W. R. Berkley's capital allocation strategy. Management uses buybacks opportunistically to return excess capital to shareholders, improve per-share metrics and maintain an efficient capital structure while continuing to invest in underwriting opportunities. The repurchases have complemented the company's dividend and special dividend programs, resulting in substantial overall capital returns to shareholders.

In June 2026, the insurer restored its share repurchase authorization to 25 million shares, alongside announcing a 50-cent special dividend and an 11.1% increase in its regular quarterly dividend to 10 cents per share. This follows already active buybacks, with more than 4.47 million shares repurchased through March 31, 2026. By early June, total capital returned to shareholders for the year had reached approximately $558.8 million, combining repurchases, paid dividends and newly announced distributions.

One of the defining characteristics of W. R. Berkley is its ability to consistently deliver a high return on equity (ROE), often outperforming many peers in the property and casualty insurance industry. WRB continued to deliver outstanding results in the first quarter of 2026 with an annualized 21.2% return on beginning-of-year stockholders’ equity, reflecting ongoing growth in underwriting and investment income. It marks a continued trajectory of outperformance. The company has consistently maintained a five-year average ROE of approximately 20%, resulting in a five-year total shareholder return of roughly 19%.

WRB frequently returns excess capital through buybacks and special dividends when attractive underwriting opportunities are insufficient to absorb all available capital. This disciplined approach has helped the company support strong per-share value creation, double-digit ROE and long-term shareholder returns.

What About Its Peers?RLI Corp. (RLI - Free Report) has one of the most shareholder-friendly capital return programs in the property & casualty insurance industry. The company combines a steadily growing regular dividend, frequent special dividends and opportunistic share repurchases to return excess capital to shareholders while maintaining underwriting discipline. The company has increased its regular dividend for 51 consecutive years, placing it among the longest dividend-growth records in the insurance sector.

First American Financial Corporation (FAF - Free Report) follows a balanced capital-return strategy that combines a steadily growing dividend with opportunistic share repurchases. FAF generally uses a combination of regular dividend increases and selective share repurchases to distribute excess capital. FAF has increased its dividend for more than 15 consecutive years, reflecting management's commitment to returning capital through various housing market environments.

WRB’s Price PerformanceShares of WRB have lost 7% in the past year compared with the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

WRB’s Expensive ValuationThe stock is overvalued compared with its industry. It is currently trading at a price-to-book value multiple of 2.55, higher than the industry average of 1.39.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Estimate Movement for WRBThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for WRB’s third-quarter 2026 EPS has moved down 2.6% in the past 30 days. The same for full-year 2026 and 2027 EPS has moved up 0.6% and 0.2%, respectively, in the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: W.R. Berkley (WRB - Free Report) Founded in 1967 and based in Greenwich, CT, W.R. Berkley Corp. is a Fortune 500 company. It is one of the nation’s largest commercial lines property casualty insurance providers. The company offers a variety of insurance services from reinsurance to workers’ comp third-party administrators (TPAs) across the United States and in 87 other countries. 

WRB is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Momentum investors should take note of this Finance stock. WRB has a Momentum Style Score of A, and shares are up 1% over the past four weeks.

Eight analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.09 to $4.67 per share. WRB boasts an average earnings surprise of +4.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, WRB should be on investors' short list.