W. R. Berkley quarterly operating income rises on strong underwriting

W. R. Berkley

21/04/2026 22:07

April 21 (Reuters) - Commercial insurer W. R. Berkley WRB.N reported a rise in first-quarter profit on Tuesday, helped by solid underwriting performance.

Demand for insurance remained firm in the quarter, driving growth in net written premiums as businesses and households continued to seek protection against large, unpredictable losses.

The Greenwich, Connecticut-based insurer's net written premiums, a measure of policies written during the period, rose 1.3% to $3.2 billion in the quarter.

The company reported a combined ratio of 90.7% for the quarter, down from 90.9% ​in the year-ago period.

A ratio below 100% shows that an insurer earned more in premiums than it paid out ​in claims.

First-quarter net investment income for the commercial ⁠lines insurer came ⁠in at a record $404.3 ​million, up from $360.3 million last year.

W. R. Berkley reported an operating income of $514.3 million, or $1.30 per share, for the quarter ended March 31. That compares with $420 million, or $1.05 per share, last year.

 (Reporting by Pragyan Kalita in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

 ((Pragyan.Kalita@thomsonreuters.com))