W. R. Berkley 10-Q 2022-09-30

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

(Mark one)

For the Quarterly Period Ended September 30, 2022

or

For the Transition Period from to .

W. R. BERKLEY CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

Number of shares of common stock, $.20 par value, outstanding as of October 31, 2022: 265,476,121

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

W. R. BERKLEY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share data)

See accompanying notes to interim consolidated financial statements.

W. R. BERKLEY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED)

(In thousands, except per share data)

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Overview

W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company that is among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States and operates worldwide in two segments of the property and casualty business: Insurance and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess. Our decentralized structure provides us with the flexibility to respond quickly and efficiently to local or specific market conditions and to pursue specialty business niches. It also allows us to be closer to our customers in order to better understand their individual needs and risk characteristics. While providing our business units with certain operating autonomy, our structure allows us to capitalize on the benefits of economies of scale through centralized capital, investment, reinsurance, enterprise risk management, and actuarial, financial and corporate legal staff support. The Company’s primary sources of revenues and earnings are its insurance operations and its investments.

An important part of our strategy is to form new operating units to capitalize on various business opportunities. Over the years, the Company has formed numerous operating units that are focused on important parts of the economy in the U.S., including healthcare, cyber security, energy and agriculture, and on growing international markets, including the Asia-Pacific region, South America and Mexico.

The profitability of the Company’s insurance business is affected primarily by the adequacy of premium rates. The ultimate adequacy of premium rates is not known with certainty at the time an insurance policy is issued because premiums are determined before claims are reported. The ultimate adequacy of premium rates is affected mainly by the severity and frequency of claims, which are influenced by many factors, including natural and other disasters, regulatory measures and court decisions that define and change the extent of coverage and the effects of economic inflation on the amount of compensation for injuries or losses. General insurance prices are also influenced by available insurance capacity, i.e., the level of capital employed in the industry, and the industry’s willingness to deploy that capital.

The Company’s profitability is also affected by its investment income and investment gains. The Company’s invested assets are invested principally in fixed maturity securities. The return on fixed maturity securities is affected primarily by general interest rates, as well as the credit quality and duration of the securities.

The Company also invests in equity securities, merger arbitrage securities, investment funds, private equity, loans and real estate related assets. The Company's investments in investment funds and its other alternative investments have experienced, and the Company expects to continue to experience, greater fluctuations in investment income. The Company's share of the earnings or losses from investment funds is generally reported on a one-quarter lag in order to facilitate the timely completion of the Company's consolidated financial statements.

On February 25, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved a 3-for-2 common stock split which was paid in the form of a stock dividend to holders of record as of March 9, 2022. The additional shares were issued on March 23, 2022. Shares outstanding and per share amounts in this Form 10-Q reflect such 3-for-2 common stock split.

On March 7, 2022, the Company sold a real estate investment consisting of an office building located in London for £718 million. The Company realized a pretax gain of $317 million in the first quarter of 2022, before transaction expenses and the impact of foreign currency, including the reversal of the currency translation adjustment. The gain was $251 million after such adjustments.

The COVID-19 pandemic, including the related impact on the U.S. and global economies, continued to adversely affect our results of operations. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded approximately $4 million for current accident year COVID-19-related losses, net of reinsurance. At the same time, COVID-19 has led to reduced loss frequency in certain lines of business (which has begun to return to pre-pandemic levels as many economies and legal systems have reopened as a result of higher levels of vaccination). The ultimate impact of COVID-19 on the economy and the Company’s results of operations, financial position and liquidity is not within the Company’s control and remains unclear due to, among other factors, uncertainty in connection with its claims, reserves and reinsurance recoverables.

Critical Accounting Estimates

The following presents a discussion of accounting policies and estimates relating to reserves for losses and loss expenses, assumed premiums and allowance for expected credit losses on investments. Management believes these policies and estimates are the most critical to its operations and require the most difficult, subjective and complex judgments.

Reserves for Losses and Loss Expenses. To recognize liabilities for unpaid losses, either known or unknown, insurers establish reserves, which is a balance sheet account representing estimates of future amounts needed to pay claims and

related expenses with respect to insured events which have occurred. Estimates and assumptions relating to reserves for losses and loss expenses are based on complex and subjective judgments, often including the interplay of specific uncertainties with related accounting and actuarial measurements. Such estimates are also susceptible to change as significant periods of time may elapse between the occurrence of an insured loss, the report of the loss to the insurer, the ultimate determination of the cost of the loss and the insurer’s payment of that loss.

In general, when a claim is reported, claims personnel establish a “case reserve” for the estimated amount of the ultimate payment based upon known information about the claim at that time. The estimate represents an informed judgment based on general reserving practices and reflects the experience and knowledge of the claims personnel regarding the nature and value of the specific type of claim. Reserves are also established on an aggregate basis to provide for losses incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) to the insurer, potential inadequacy of case reserves and the estimated expenses of settling claims, including legal and other fees and general expenses of administrating the claims adjustment process. Reserves are established based upon the then current legal interpretation of coverage provided.

In examining reserve adequacy, several factors are considered in estimating the ultimate economic value of losses. These factors include, among other things, historical data, legal developments, changes in social attitudes and economic conditions, including the effects of inflation. The actuarial process relies on the basic assumption that past experience, adjusted judgmentally for the effects of current developments and anticipated trends, is an appropriate basis for predicting future outcomes. Reserve amounts are based on management’s informed estimates and judgments using currently available data. As additional experience and other data become available and are reviewed, these estimates and judgments may be revised. This may result in reserve increases or decreases that would be reflected in our results in periods in which such estimates and assumptions are changed.

Reserves do not represent an exact calculation of liability. Rather, reserves represent an estimate of what management expects the ultimate settlement and claim administration will cost. While the methods for establishing reserves are well tested over time, some of the major assumptions about anticipated loss emergence patterns are subject to uncertainty. These estimates, which generally involve actuarial projections, are based on management’s assessment of facts and circu

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Reference is made to the information under “Investments - Market Risk” under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Form 10-Q.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-14 as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company has in place effective controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules thereunder, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. During the quarter ended September 30, 2022, there were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

PART II — OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

Please see Note 21 to the notes to the interim consolidated financial statements.

There have been no material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

Set forth below is a summary of the shares repurchased by the Company during the three months ended September 30, 2022, and the number of shares remaining authorized for purchase by the Company:

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.