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

• Market Cap: $27.56B
• Dividend Yield: 0.44%
• Average Volume (3M): 2.31M
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 16.8
• Beta (1Y): 0.41
• Revenue Growth: 11.38%
• EPS Growth: 14.76%
• Country: US
• Employees: 8,606
• Sector: Financial
• Sector Strength: 88
• Industry: Insurance - Property & Casualty
• EPS (TTM): 1.01
• Shares Outstanding: 379,355,830
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 1,838,837
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 2,309,633
• PEG Ratio: N/A
• Price to Book (P/B): N/A
• Price to Sales (P/S): 0.00
• Price to Cash Flow (P/CF): 0.00
• P/FCF Ratio: 0.00
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 1.14
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 2.29
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: N/A
• 1Y Price Target: $68.30
• Price Target Upside: -5.78% Downside
• Rating Consensus: Hold
• Number of Analyst Covering: 11

W. R. Berkley Corporation's stock is supported by strong financial performance, with high profitability, growth, and efficient cash management. The technical indicators suggest a solid upward trend, though caution is warranted due to potential overbought conditions. Valuation is reasonable but not particularly attractive for dividend investors. The positive sentiment and strong performance highlighted in the earnings call further bolster the stock's outlook.

Positive Factors

Financial Performance

The combined ratio of 85.4% was much better than consensus expectation of 89.2%, supported by stronger premium growth of 8.2% and an improving core loss ratio of 50.0%.

Investment Income

Net investment income of $360 million is above the consensus expectation of $347 million, supported by higher new money rates and improvements in investment fund income.

Strategic Investments

Japanese insurer Mitsui Sumitomo entered into an agreement with WR Berkley to acquire a 15% stake in the company from third parties, which could signal confidence in WRB's operations.

Negative Factors

Earnings

WRB shares should trade down on earnings as the shortfall in the insurance underlying loss ratio, adverse development in insurance, and concern surrounding potential impact of tariffs should weigh on the shares.

Foreign Exchange Loss

FX was a loss of $19m, which negatively impacted the earnings per share.

Insurance Losses

The company saw higher than expected CAT loss ratio of 2.7% vs consensus of 2.4% in the Insurance segment, with a total CAT loss ratio of 3.7% higher than consensus expectations of 3.2%.

W. R. Berkley Corporation Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

W. 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 Money

W. R. Berkley Corporation generates revenue primarily through the underwriting of insurance policies and the management of investment income. The company's key revenue streams include premiums collected from policyholders for providing insurance coverage, which is the core of its underwriting business. In addition to underwriting income, the company invests premiums and capital in a diversified portfolio of financial instruments, generating investment income that contributes significantly to its earnings. W. R. Berkley Corporation's decentralized operating model allows its subsidiaries to focus on niche markets, enabling them to better assess risks and price policies competitively. The company's financial performance is also influenced by its ability to effectively manage claims expenses, maintain strong underwriting discipline, and leverage its market expertise to underwrite profitable business segments.

W. R. Berkley Corporation Financial Statement Overview

Summary

W. R. Berkley Corporation's financial statements are impressive, demonstrating strong profitability, growth, and cash generation. The company benefits from high margins, a debt-free balance sheet, and efficient cash flow management. While the balance sheet's lack of leverage could limit expansion opportunities, the overall financial health is excellent, with sustainable growth and profitability trends.

Income Statement

W. R. Berkley Corporation exhibits strong income statement metrics with a remarkable gross profit margin of 86.40% in TTM, indicating efficient cost management. The net profit margin remains healthy at 12.39%. Revenue growth is robust with a TTM increase of 2.51% over the previous year and a notable 47.22% increase from 2021 to 2022. The company's EBIT and EBITDA margins for TTM are solid at 33.96% and 12.36%, respectively, highlighting operational efficiency. The income statement demonstrates excellent profitability and growth, with minimal weaknesses observed.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet of W. R. Berkley Corporation is strong, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.00 in TTM, indicating a debt-free position, which is rare and advantageous for stability. The return on equity (ROE) is commendable at 18.63% for TTM, reflecting effective use of equity capital. The equity ratio improved to 22.48% in TTM, showing a solid equity base. While the balance sheet is robust, the absence of debt may limit leverage opportunities for expansion.

Cash Flow

The cash flow statement reveals a strong performance, with an operating cash flow to net income ratio of 1.66 in TTM, indicating effective cash generation relative to net income. Free cash flow shows a slight decline in growth with a reduction of 21.23% in TTM compared to the previous year, but remains positive at $2.82 billion. The free cash flow to net income ratio stands at 1.63 in TTM, showcasing strong cash conversion. Overall, cash flow metrics are robust, with minor weaknesses in free cash flow growth.

Breakdown
Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement		Total Revenue
13.64B	12.14B	11.22B	9.48B	8.10B
	Gross Profit
13.64B	8.78B	8.26B	6.88B	5.71B
	EBIT
2.26B	1.75B	1.85B	781.05M	310.00M
	EBITDA
2.39B	1.86B	1.91B	1.56B	990.40M
	Net Income Common Stockholders
1.76B	1.38B	1.38B	1.02B	530.67M
Balance Sheet		Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
364.73M	317.62M	2.64B	2.51B	3.00B
	Total Assets
40.57B	32.91B	33.88B	32.10B	34.93B
	Total Debt
2.84B	2.84B	2.84B	3.27B	2.73B
	Net Debt
866.22M	1.47B	1.39B	1.70B	352.97M
	Total Liabilities
32.16B	25.44B	27.11B	25.43B	28.61B
	Stockholders Equity
8.40B	7.46B	6.75B	6.65B	6.31B
Cash Flow		Free Cash Flow
3.57B	2.88B	2.52B	2.12B	1.58B
	Operating Cash Flow
3.68B	2.93B	2.57B	2.18B	1.62B
	Investing Cash Flow
-2.18B	-1.96B	-1.89B	-2.99B	119.70M
	Financing Cash Flow
-852.49M	-1.06B	-771.99M	5.83M	-397.84M

W. R. Berkley Corporation Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 72.49
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Positive
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Negative

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 72.49 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 70.80, above the 50-day MA of 67.27, and above the 200-day MA of 60.63, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.62 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 62.48 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 81.30 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for WRB.

W. R. Berkley Corporation Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
WRB	82 Outperform	$27.56B	16.83	20.73%	0.44%	11.38%	14.76%
CINF	76 Outperform	$22.65B	15.70	10.97%	2.23%	2.44%	-38.76%
CNA	74 Outperform	$13.06B	14.64	8.98%	3.67%	6.34%	-28.19%
MKL	73 Outperform	$23.78B	13.81	10.94%	―	-6.46%	-26.71%
L	67 Neutral	$18.20B	14.22	7.95%	0.28%	9.02%	-9.73%
AFG	66 Neutral	$10.87B	12.21	18.51%	2.55%	3.76%	-9.12%
Sector *	64 Neutral	$12.60B	9.73	7.92%	16985.68%	12.21%	-5.55%