Latest news with #WRB
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TKOMY or WRB: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
Investors with an interest in Insurance - Property and Casualty stocks have likely encountered both Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. (TKOMY) and W.R. Berkley (WRB). But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look. We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits. Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. and W.R. Berkley are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that TKOMY has an improving earnings outlook. But this is only part of the picture for value investors. Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its current share price levels. The Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors. TKOMY currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.64, while WRB has a forward P/E of 17.43. We also note that TKOMY has a PEG ratio of 0.71. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. WRB currently has a PEG ratio of 2.54. Another notable valuation metric for TKOMY is its P/B ratio of 2.47. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, WRB has a P/B of 3.15. These are just a few of the metrics contributing to TKOMY's Value grade of B and WRB's Value grade of C. TKOMY sticks out from WRB in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that TKOMY is the better option right now. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. (TKOMY) : Free Stock Analysis Report W.R. Berkley Corporation (WRB) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
W. R. Berkley price target raised to $75 from $63 at Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley raised the firm's price target on W. R. Berkley (WRB) to $75 from $63 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares. The firm is updating its price targets on stocks under its coverage in the P&C Insurance sector, the analyst tells investors. Results were somewhat mixed depending on the segments, but the firm sees further growth and margin expansion in personal lines, which should be durable in 2025. Heading into 2025, the firm expects broader P&C trend to remain steady, with personal lines and brokers leading on the earnings growth front. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks straight to you inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See Insiders' Hot Stocks on TipRanks >> Read More on WRB: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue W. R. Berkley price target raised to $75 from $65 at Keefe Bruyette VOO ETF News, 5/9/2025 SPY ETF News, 5/7/2025 VOO ETF News, 5/6/2025 W. R. Berkley price target raised to $78 from $73 at UBS Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Earnings Preview: W.R. Berkley (WRB) Q1 Earnings Expected to Decline
The market expects W.R. Berkley (WRB) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended March 2025. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The earnings report, which is expected to be released on April 21, 2025, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise. This insurance company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.01 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -2.9%. Revenues are expected to be $3.48 billion, up 7.6% from the year-ago quarter. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 1.79% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts. Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). For W.R. Berkley, the Most Accurate Estimate is the same as the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that there are no recent analyst views which differ from what have been considered to derive the consensus estimate. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of 0%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3. So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that W.R. Berkley will beat the consensus EPS estimate. While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that W.R. Berkley would post earnings of $0.94 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.13, delivering a surprise of +20.21%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times. An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. W.R. Berkley doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Among the stocks in the Zacks Insurance - Property and Casualty industry, Travelers (TRV) is soon expected to post earnings of $1.02 per share for the quarter ended March 2025. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -78.3%. This quarter's revenue is expected to be $12.14 billion, up 8.5% from the year-ago quarter. Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for Travelers has been revised 0.4% up to the current level. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of 2.10%, reflecting a higher Most Accurate Estimate. This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), suggests that Travelers will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report W.R. Berkley Corporation (WRB) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
Forbes
16-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Unmasking W. R. Berkley: The Overachiever You're Missing
Trefis Let's just put it plainly: W. R. Berkley (NYSE: WRB) is one of the top-performing stocks you likely haven't noticed. While most investors are drawn to trendy names, WRB has consistently delivered 25% annualized returns over the past five years – significantly outpacing the S&P 500. Here's what makes it stand out: it's attractively valued, highly profitable, and serves as a solid hedge during market turmoil. This stock not only generates strong returns, but also helps protect your portfolio during market downturns. Considering market cycles to safeguard capital is a key theme in our High-Quality portfolio, which has outperformed the S&P 500, generating returns of over 91% since inception. Let's break down the data that strongly supports the case for WRB. WRB isn't just a flash in the pan. The company has achieved 13% annual growth – not only in the last year, but over the past three years as well. With an operating margin of 17.5% and a free cash flow margin of 25%, alongside prudent underwriting and a sound financial strategy, WRB has built a solid foundation for continued success. Perhaps WRB's most overlooked strength is its resilience during market downturns. Here's how it performed when markets fell: These results aren't random – they reflect a consistent pattern. Despite its impressive track record, WRB remains modestly valued. To put that into context: investors are paying double the valuation for similar cash flow metrics elsewhere. WRB's pricing reflects an opportunity that shouldn't be ignored. That said, individual stock investing carries risks, and WRB is no exception. It saw a nearly 25% decline from November 2022 to June 2023, significantly lagging during a strong 2024 market. To mitigate such stock-specific risk while maintaining upside potential, consider our High Quality Portfolio. Featuring 30 stocks, it has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 over the past four years. Why? Because collectively, HQ Portfolio stocks offer better returns with lower risk compared to the index, as reflected in HQ Portfolio performance metrics. Invest with Trefis Market Beating Portfolios | Rules-Based Wealth
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
W.R. Berkley Nears Historical Price-To-Book High, Analyst Downgrades Stock On Overvaluation Concerns
BofA Securities analyst Joshua Shanker downgraded W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) from Buy to Neutral, raising the price forecast to $74 from $73. The analyst suggests that Mitsui-Sumitomo's plan to acquire a 15% stake in W.R. Berkley may not lead to a takeover soon, though it could be a long-term option. The analyst mentions that W.R. Berkley is currently trading at 3.0 times its estimated book value for March 31, which is close to the highest point it's ever reached, matching levels seen in April 2006 and November 2022. This trend of high price-to-book ratios is also observed in other large commercial property and casualty insurance companies, which are generally considered to be overvalued at the moment. The high price-to-book ratio for W.R. Berkley is largely attributed to its strong return on equity, which is currently in the high teens, driving the elevated valuation despite the company not being as overvalued on a price-to-earnings basis. Also Read: Shanker suggests that Berkley benefits from lower exposure to casualty volatility compared to its peer stocks, and although some bearish investors are concerned about potential inadequacies in loss reserves (with short covering possibly explaining the recent stock surge), they believe Berkley is not facing greater challenges regarding loss trends than the industry as a whole. Shanker states that, in general, they view commercial P&C underwriters as overvalued. The analyst notes that Berkley has better potential due to its higher return on equity, lower property risk, and the presence of a dedicated buyer in the market. Despite this, Shanker sees limited upside for Berkley, which leads to a Neutral recommendation. The analyst also mentions that some unique factors specific to Berkley's stock prevent them from recommending an Underperform rating at the current stock price. Price Action: WRB shares are trading lower by 1.41% to $70.16 at last check Tuesday. Read Next:Image via Shutterstock. Date Firm Action From To Dec 2021 Evercore ISI Group Initiates Coverage On Outperform Dec 2021 Truist Securities Initiates Coverage On Buy Oct 2021 RBC Capital Maintains Outperform View More Analyst Ratings for WRB View the Latest Analyst Ratings UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article W.R. Berkley Nears Historical Price-To-Book High, Analyst Downgrades Stock On Overvaluation Concerns originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
