Bullish case
$95 to $101
More likely if WRB sustains low-90s or better combined ratios, net investment income keeps rising, specialty pricing remains rational, and investors pay about 16x earnings on mid-single-digit EPS growth.
W. R. Berkley Corporation research snapshot
WRB AI stock analysis currently reads W. R. Berkley as a high-quality specialty property and casualty insurer with a record second quarter 2026, a decentralized operating model, strong underwriting discipline, record investment income, and consistent book value compounding. At the August 2, 2026 data cutoff, WRB closed near $72.54 on July 31, 2026 with a market capitalization near $28.19 billion. The business quality is strong, but the stock forecast should be treated as scenario analysis because insurance pricing, catastrophe losses, reserves, interest rates, and market multiples can change quickly. This page is informational research and not investment advice.
Current price
$72.54
Market cap
$28.19 billion
AI score
76 / 100
Rating
High-quality specialty insurer with a record Q2 2026, but full valuation and cycle softening limit the margin of safety
Trend status
Trading above both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages
Data cutoff (updated monthly)
August 4, 2026
Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.
| Dimension | Conclusion | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Business quality | WRB is a specialty insurance holding company with about 60 focused operating units, record Q2 2026 gross premiums written near $4.1 billion, and recurring premium and investment income. | High |
| Moat | The moat comes from underwriting discipline, decentralized specialty teams, broker relationships, claims expertise, investment portfolio scale, and an AM Best issuer credit rating upgraded to a (Excellent) in mid-2026. | High |
| Management | W. Robert Berkley, Jr. is Chairman, President, and CEO after founder William R. Berkley passed away in June 2026, and recent senior executive appointments show succession planning in progress. | High |
| Financial trend | Q2 2026 net income was $452.3 million, up 12.7%, with a 90.0% combined ratio, 18.6% ROE, 20.5% operating ROE, and record net investment income of $418.7 million. | High |
| Valuation | At $72.54, financial_rigor.py calculated about 14.9x TTM EPS, 2.9x book value, 8.4x free cash flow per share, and an 11.9% FCF yield, with a Hold analyst consensus. | Medium-high |
| Technical trend | WRB is above the 50-day moving average near $69.77 and the 200-day moving average near $69.88, with RSI near 51.47 and average 20-day volume near 1.95 million shares. | Medium |
| Risk level | Main risks are catastrophe losses, social inflation, adverse reserve development, pricing-cycle softness, decelerating rate increases, investment portfolio marks, and succession execution. | Medium-high |
| AI confidence | The descriptive data confidence is high, while the forecast is only a conditional insurance-cycle framework and not a reliable price prediction. | High data confidence |
| Investment certainty | Business certainty is stronger than valuation certainty. WRB has a long record, but current returns depend on normalized underwriting profit and whether investors keep paying a premium multiple. | Medium |
WRB AI stock forecast
The WRB AI stock forecast uses scenario math rather than a fixed target. Using a $72.54 price, TTM EPS near $4.86, and a three-year framework, financial_rigor.py produced a bullish value near $98, a base value near $84, and a bearish value near $47 before dividends. The key drivers are premium growth, combined ratio, reserve development, catastrophe losses, net investment income, buybacks, and the market multiple assigned to a specialty insurer. The 18-analyst consensus is Hold with a $69.29 average price target, which sits below the current price.
$95 to $101
More likely if WRB sustains low-90s or better combined ratios, net investment income keeps rising, specialty pricing remains rational, and investors pay about 16x earnings on mid-single-digit EPS growth.
$82 to $88
More likely if EPS compounds around the mid single digits, combined ratio stays near the recent 90% to 92% range, investment income remains supportive, and WRB trades near 15x earnings.
$44 to $50
More likely if rate increases keep decelerating, catastrophe losses rise, social inflation pressures reserves, commercial lines pricing softens, and the stock rerates toward 10x lower earnings.
WRB AI technical analysis
WRB AI technical analysis is positive as of the August 2, 2026 data cutoff. StockAnalysis reported shares outstanding of 388.61 million, market cap near $28.19 billion, a 50-day moving average near $69.77, a 200-day moving average near $69.88, RSI near 51.47, beta near 0.29, a 52-week range of $62.87 to $78.96, and 20-day average volume near 1.95 million shares. The price is above both moving averages, which supports the medium-term trend, but the two averages cluster near $69.8, so the stock needs to hold that zone to avoid a quick trend flip.
| Level | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Current price | $72.54 | Close on July 31, 2026, used with the August 2, 2026 data cutoff and market cap verification. |
| Near support | $69.50 to $71 | The 50-day moving average near $69.77 and the 200-day moving average near $69.88 cluster inside this zone. |
| Secondary support | $66 to $68 | A move below the moving-average cluster would open this area as the next reference on any pullback. |
| Deeper support | $62 to $65 | This area reaches toward the 52-week low near $62.87 and would imply a larger valuation reset. |
| Near resistance | $75 to $77 | This is the first zone where the stock would need volume and earnings confirmation to extend the trend. |
| Major resistance | $78 to $79 | The 52-week high near $78.96 is the main barrier; a sustained break would put WRB in new-high territory. |
| 50-day SMA | $69.77 | WRB is trading above this short-term average, which supports the uptrend setup. |
| 200-day SMA | $69.88 | WRB is also above this medium-term average, a change from earlier in 2026. |
| Momentum | RSI 51.47 | Momentum is neutral to positive, with room to build before becoming stretched. |
| Volume | About 1.95 million shares | Average 20-day volume should be used to judge whether a breakout or failed move has institutional support. |
| Volatility | Beta 0.29 | WRB is low beta, but insurance-specific events can still create sharp stock moves. |
| Invalidation | Close below $69.50 | A decisive close below the moving-average cluster would weaken the medium-term trend setup. |
WRB AI trading strategy
The WRB AI trading strategy is a research and risk-control framework, not personalized advice. It separates a long-term specialty-insurer quality thesis from shorter-term chart levels that can change after the next Q3 2026 earnings report, expected in late October 2026.
Watch for WRB to hold above the $69.50 to $71 support zone and keep both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages as support, ideally with Q3 results showing stable premium growth, combined ratio discipline, and investment income strength.
Treat a close below $69.50, below both moving averages, as evidence that the current uptrend setup has failed.
If WRB pulls back toward $66 to $68 without adverse reserve or catastrophe news, compare the lower price with book value growth, combined ratio, pricing commentary, and buyback activity before assuming value has improved.
Do not average down only because WRB has a strong long-term record. Insurance earnings can reset if loss costs, reserves, or pricing assumptions move against the company.
Track gross and net premiums written, Insurance segment growth, Reinsurance and Monoline Excess profitability, rate change commentary, combined ratio, catastrophe losses, reserve development, book value per share, net investment income, buybacks, and succession stability.
Lower confidence if rate increases keep decelerating, if premium growth requires weaker underwriting terms, if reserves deteriorate, or if book value growth slows while the stock still trades near a premium price-to-book multiple.
Investment research summary
WRB sells specialized risk transfer and claims capability to commercial, specialty, reinsurance, and excess insurance customers. Customers pay because they need licensed capital, underwriting judgment, and claims service in risks that standard carriers may not price well, and because WRB can combine underwriting with a large investment portfolio.
The moat is built from decentralized specialty teams, broker and client relationships, underwriting know-how, claims discipline, balance-sheet credibility, a broad investment portfolio, and a culture that rewards profitable growth over volume. AM Best upgraded the group issuer credit rating to a (Excellent) in mid-2026.
The thesis fails if WRB underprices risk late in the cycle, if social inflation and litigation raise loss severity, if catastrophe losses become structurally higher, if reserves prove inadequate, or if the post-founder culture loses underwriting discipline. The weakest link is pricing discipline if rate increases keep decelerating.
W. Robert Berkley, Jr. has led the company since 2015 and became Chairman, President, and CEO in the transition after founder William R. Berkley passed away in June 2026. Recent senior executive appointments signal succession planning, and the key management question is whether the next phase preserves founder-era underwriting culture while still allocating capital well.
Specialty commercial insurance benefits from complex risks, cyber and professional liability needs, climate volatility, and higher reinvestment yields, but it remains cyclical because competitors chase premium growth when pricing looks attractive. Analysts note decelerating rate increases across the property casualty market.
At about 14.9x TTM EPS, 2.9x book value, and 8.4x free cash flow, WRB is priced as a quality insurer rather than a distressed cyclical, and the 18-analyst consensus price target of $69.29 sits below the current price. Margin of safety depends on normalized combined ratio, reserve adequacy, book value compounding, and whether the premium multiple is still warranted.
Source-backed data
Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.
| Metric | Value | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| WRB price | $72.54 close on July 31, 2026, used for market cap verification | StockAnalysis WRB quote page | August 2, 2026 |
| Market capitalization | $28.19 billion reported and verified as $72.54 x 388.61 million shares | StockAnalysis and financial_rigor.py | August 2, 2026 |
| Shares outstanding | 388.61 million shares from StockAnalysis, compared with 371.058 million common shares at June 30, 2026 excluding 17.379 million grantor trust shares | StockAnalysis and WRB Q2 2026 results release | August 2, 2026 |
| Q2 2026 results | $4.144 billion gross premiums written, $3.430 billion net premiums written, $452.3 million net income, $1.15 diluted EPS, 90.0% combined ratio, 18.6% ROE, and 20.5% operating ROE | W. R. Berkley Q2 2026 results release | July 20, 2026 |
| TTM financials | $14.90 billion revenue, $1.93 billion net income, and $4.86 TTM earnings per share | StockAnalysis WRB financials and WRB filings | August 2, 2026 |
| Book value | $26.50 book value per share and $25.31 adjusted book value per share at June 30, 2026 | W. R. Berkley Q2 2026 results release | June 30, 2026 |
| Free cash flow | $3.35 billion TTM free cash flow and $8.63 free cash flow per share | StockAnalysis WRB cash flow statement | August 2, 2026 |
| Technical snapshot | 50-day SMA $69.77, 200-day SMA $69.88, RSI 51.47, beta 0.29, and 52-week range $62.87 to $78.96 | StockAnalysis WRB statistics page | August 2, 2026 |
| Analyst consensus | Hold rating with a $69.29 average price target across 18 analysts, with recent target prices from $68 to $83 | StockAnalysis WRB forecast page and recent analyst notes | August 2, 2026 |
| Ratings and management | AM Best upgraded the group issuer credit rating to a (Excellent), and W. Robert Berkley, Jr. remains Chairman, President, and CEO | WRB Q2 2026 results release and AM Best upgrade announcement | August 2, 2026 |
This WRB AI stock analysis page is an informational research tool, not investment advice, a recommendation, or a guarantee of future returns. Forecast ranges are scenarios based on available public data, valuation assumptions, and technical snapshots as of the data cutoff, and they may be wrong.
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