WR Berkley (WRB) Falls 14% on Profit-Taking, Investors Digest Mitsui Stake Acquisition

Core Insights - WR Berkley Corp. (NYSE:WRB) experienced a significant decline of 14.12% over the last five trading days of December, attributed to profit-taking by investors after a previous surge and a lack of new catalysts to drive trading [1] - On a single day, WR Berkley lost 7.7% following the announcement of a 12.5% stake sale to Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd., as part of a previously signed agreement [2] - Mitsui will act as a significant shareholder, voting in line with the recommendations of the Berkley family, except when voting aligns with the overall sentiment of regular shareholders [3] Financial Transactions - The stake purchased by Mitsui was from WR Berkley's outstanding shares, not directly from the Berkley Family or the company, with the transaction expected to close in the first quarter of January 2026 [4] - WR Berkley declared two cash dividends for common shareholders as of December 15, including a special cash dividend of $1 per share and a regular quarterly dividend of 9 cents, both payable on December 29 [4]