W.R. Berkley (WRB) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock?
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W. R. Berkley, an American insurance holding company that underwrites insurance and reinsurance on a global basis, focusing on commercial niche lines, is now a $22 billion (by market cap) insurance player. To date, the company has increased its dividend for 23 consecutive years, with a 10-year dividend growth rate of 9.4%. WRB grew its revenue from $7.2 billion in FY 2015 to $13.6 billion in FY 2024, a compound annual growth rate of 7.3%.
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U.S. commercial insurer W. R. Berkley recently released fourth quarter results. Profitability continues to be excellent, aided by higher interest rates and the current upswing in the insurance cycle. This continues to be reflected in a premium valuation, with the stock's price-to-book ratio significantly ahead of its long-term average.
WRB's Q4 results reflect higher premiums and improved net investment income, partially offset by wider catastrophe losses and escalated expenses.
W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB ) Q4 2024 Earnings Conference Call January 27, 2025 5:00 PM ET Company Participants Rob Berkley - President & Chief Executive Officer Rich Baio - Chief Financial Officer Bill Berkley - Executive Chairman Conference Call Participants Alex Scott - Barclays Elyse Greenspan - Wells Fargo Andrew Kligerman - TD Securities Mark Hughes - Truist Securities Mike Zaremski - BMO Capital Markets Katie Sakys - Autonomous Research Bob Huang - Morgan Stanley David Motemaden - Evercore ISI Meyer Shields - KBW Brian Meredith - UBS Josh Shanker - Bank of America Operator Good day, and welcome to W. R. Berkley Corporation's Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Earnings Conference Call.
Although the revenue and EPS for W.R. Berkley (WRB) give a sense of how its business performed in the quarter ended December 2024, it might be worth considering how some key metrics compare with Wall Street estimates and the year-ago numbers.
W.R. Berkley (WRB) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.13 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.94 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.97 per share a year ago.
W. R. Berkley Corporation is a strong P&C insurer with consistent underwriting profits and superior risk management, but Q4 2024 earnings may be slightly impacted by higher catastrophe losses. The company has a decentralized structure with 60 independently managed units, allowing rapid market response and specialized knowledge across different insurance lines. Despite expected higher catastrophe losses, Berkley's Q4 net premiums are projected to grow by 9% YoY, with stable operating expenses and strong investment income.
WRB's fourth-quarter results are likely to reflect higher premiums at both the segments, partially offset by higher expenses.
Besides Wall Street's top -and-bottom-line estimates for W.R. Berkley (WRB), review projections for some of its key metrics to gain a deeper understanding of how the company might have fared during the quarter ended December 2024.