Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., LTD, which holds about 10% ownership of W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB), completed a series of stock acquisitions over two days in January 2026. Documented in a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the insurer purchased shares valued at a combined $42.6 million.
The transactions took place on January 20 and 21, with share prices ranging from $66.9526 to $68.0772—figures closely matching W.R. Berkley's then-current share price of $67.54. These price points are assessed by InvestingPro to be below the company's intrinsic fair value, highlighting potential undervaluation.
On January 20, Mitsui Sumitomo acquired 265,006 shares followed by an additional 44,994 shares. The following day, the company purchased 59,002 shares and then 260,998 shares. Due to these strategic buys, Mitsui Sumitomo's direct holdings now total 53,891,504 shares in W.R. Berkley. It should be noted that these acquisitions were performed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, initiated on October 3, 2025.
W.R. Berkley itself possesses a remarkable record, highlighted by a perfect Piotroski Score of 9, signaling strong financial health, according to InvestingPro data. Furthermore, it has continuously paid dividends for 51 years, an accomplishment reflecting persistent shareholder value.
However, analyst perspectives on W.R. Berkley have recently turned cautious. TD Cowen downgraded the stock to "Sell" and adjusted its price target down to $55, citing valuation issues and slowing earnings growth. Similarly, Evercore ISI reclassified shares as "Underperform," reducing their price target to $69 amid concerns over margin compression and anticipated EPS declines.
Despite these challenges, the company has taken proactive steps to reinforce shareholder returns by increasing its share buyback authorization to 25 million shares. Additionally, W.R. Berkley announced key leadership changes, including the promotions of Lee Iannarone to executive vice president and Stephen Kennedy to senior vice president and general counsel. Erin Rotz was appointed president of Berkley Fire & Marine, bringing two decades of expertise in inland marine and construction underwriting to the role.
These moves collectively underscore W.R. Berkley's active strategic adjustments and ongoing evaluation amid evolving market conditions and analyst scrutiny.