W.R. Berkley Corp (WRB)

Here's another wish and a prayer investment. The idea is that if you are a financial company that survives the recent Bankers Blowout Bash (also known as the Great Recession) with your conservative integrity intact, you will rise on the shoulders of the market Promethius to shine brighter than ever. Ya think?

I bought W.R. Berkley property and casualty insurance this month because I thought I ought to have at least one financial stock in my portfolio and Jim Jubak said this was a good one. My finger is on the abort button but I may fall asleep before I realize this stock is going no where. It may be safe but it is almost certainly dull as well. Even the dividend is ho hum. Pass the Jack Daniels. We're not going anywhere soon.

This account tracks the performance of the investment firm Ruane, Cunniff, and Goldfarb - the investment manager of Sequoia Fund.

I picked this to remind me to follow this stock for my sister-in-law - who worked for Berkley and was purchasing through the company plan. She no longer works for them, but their 10Qs and 10Ks have looked very good, so I've held onto it in CAPS. If I had looked at it earlier, I might have bought it instead of MKL for my real portfolio. Of course, if I had enough money that I was willing to tie it up in a single share of stock, I would always go with BRK (A or B).

insurance picks. should be relatively stable vs S&P 500, therefore should gain some good points in the event of a further S&P drop

Safe pick, low exposure, specialty and PC lines, long term buy, will net 30% over year or 2

Regional structure allows adjustment to localized markets and to contain downside risk while placing leadership close to the client. Premiums will begin to weaken but close relationships with agents will dampen impact on Berkely.

Found this company under the insurance tag. Sell all property insurance and casualty stocks, or see your portfolio bcome a casualty! Warren Buffett is negative on the sector and that's good enough for me. Financial sector s--t has to work iits way through the whole goose.

PE = 8, PEG = .6, Profit margin = 13%, ROE = 21%, LT debt/equity,

This is another buy 'em when they're cheap play. BER stock price is currently facing two headwinds: cyclical pricing weakness in the P&C industry, and concerns about the credit quality of their investment portfolio (this is a concern for virtually all financial companies, not BER specifically). To address the pricing issue, it is cyclical; i.e., "normal." Industry pricing is cyclical, and there should only be about another year or so of weakness in this cycle. This weakness is reflected in the stock price, with BER trading at less than 8x, with a long-term growth rate of 12%, which is conservative in my estimation. Regarding the quality of the investment portfolio, BER has already announced that it is holding virtually no low quality investments. Is this a baby being thrown out with the bath water? I think so. This is a great company with a terrific growth record. It's quality all the way at a cheap price.

zacks research target price 38

buy and hold

Handles specialized risks and prices them well

Strong Growth, Low P/E, Founder Controlled Company with good management. High Institutional and Founder ownership.

good cheap stock. Growth is slowing but free cash flow is still huge. It's not trading much above its net tangible assets either. A steal any way you look at it!

Stock appreciation tends to track their long term return on equity. BER is sporting a 14% ROE. As long as they keep their expense and loss ratios under control this should be a good long term play.

Solid company that is climbing from a recent pull back. Time to buy!

Splits, growth, and dividends - BER has been good to me in my real money portfolio. I've held onto it for many years, and you'd need a crowbar to get this one out of my hands.

I don't normally like insurance stocks, but I like this company's special focus. Consistently under-rated company, despite years of great performance. As long as the current CEO is in charge, this company will be in good hands.

Look for this stock to rebound this month.
Hold Period - One Month.