WR Berkley Corp. (BER)

W. R. Berkley Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates property casualty insurance business in the United States and internationally. It has four segments: Specialty, Regional, Alternative Markets, and Reinsurance. The Specialty segment underwrites third-party liability risks, principally within excess and surplus lines, and its lines of business includes premises operations, professional liability, commercial automobile, products liability, and property lines. The Regional segment provides commercial insurance products to small-to-mid-sized businesses and state and local governmental entities primarily in the United States and the District of Columbia. The Alternative Markets segment specializes in insuring, reinsuring, and administering self-insurance programs and other alternative risk transfer mechanisms to employers, employer groups, insurers, and other groups seeking alternative ways to manage their exposure to risks. It also provides various fee-based services, including claims, administrative, and consulting services. The Reinsurance segment underwrites property casualty reinsurance on both a treaty and a facultative basis, which include professional liability, umbrella, worker's compensation, commercial automobile, and trucking. The company's international operations include commercial and personal property casualty insurance, and savings and life products, which include professional indemnity, director's and officer's liability, medical malpractice, general liability and personal accident, and travel business in Europe, South America, and the Philippines. W. R. Berkley Corporation was founded in 1967 and is based in Greenwich, Connecticut.

For the nine months ended 30 September 2006, W.R.Berkley Corporation's revenues increased 10% to $4.03B. Net income increased 33% to $501.5M. Revenues reflect an increase in premiums earned & investment income from Specialty, Regional, Reinsurance & International segments and an increase in other revenues from Alternative market segments. Net income benefited from improved operating margins.