--- ticker: WRB company: WRB filing_type: 10-K year_current: 2026 year_prior: 2025 risks_added: 3 risks_removed: 0 risks_modified: 2 risks_unchanged: 27 source: SEC EDGAR url: https://riskdiff.com/wrb/2026-vs-2025/ markdown_url: https://riskdiff.com/wrb/2026-vs-2025/index.md generated: 2026-06-01 --- # WRB: 10-K Risk Factor Changes 2026 vs 2025 > Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR) > Generated: 2026-06-01 > All data extracted directly from official filings. No hallucinated content. ## Summary | Status | Count | |--------|-------| | New risks added | 3 | | Risks removed | 0 | | Risks modified | 2 | | Unchanged | 27 | --- ## New in Current Filing: Adverse economic factors, including recessions, inflation, periods of high unemployment, the impact of tariffs or lower economic activity could result in the sale of fewer policies than expected or an increase in frequency or severity of claims and premium defaults or both, which, in turn, could affect our growth and profitability. Numerous factors, such as business revenue, economic conditions, the impact of tariffs, the volatility and strength of the capital markets and inflation can affect the business and economic environment. These same factors affect our ability to generate revenue and profits. In an economic downturn that is characterized by higher unemployment, declining spending and reduced corporate revenues, the demand for insurance products is generally adversely affected, which directly affects our premium levels and profitability. Negative economic factors may also affect our ability to receive the appropriate rate for the risk we insure with our policyholders and may adversely affect the number of policies we can write, including with respect to our opportunities to underwrite profitable business. In an economic downturn, customers may have less need for insurance coverage, cancel existing insurance policies, modify their coverage or not renew the policies they hold. Existing policyholders may exaggerate or even falsify claims to obtain higher claims payments. These outcomes would reduce our underwriting profit to the extent these factors are not reflected in the rates we charge. --- ## New in Current Filing: Given the inherent uncertainty of models, the usefulness of such models as a tool to evaluate risk is subject to a high degree of uncertainty that could result in actual losses that are materially different than our estimates. A deviation from our loss estimates may adversely impact, perhaps significantly, our financial results. Our approach to risk management relies on subjective variables that entail significant uncertainties. For example, we consider estimates of probability of exceedance and deterministic scenarios for certain events that are generated by computer-run models. In addition, we use historical data and scenarios, among other factors, to analyze and manage credit and interest rate risks in our investment portfolio. It is possible that actual events could give rise to losses materially different to those estimated by these models. Small changes in assumptions, which depend heavily on our judgment and foresight, can have a significant impact on the modeled outputs. For example, catastrophe models that simulate loss estimates based on a set of assumptions are important tools used to estimate our exceedance probability curves. These assumptions address a number of factors that impact loss potential including, but not limited to, the characteristics of a given natural catastrophe event; the increase in claim costs resulting from limited supply of labor and materials needed for repairs following a catastrophe event (demand surge); the types, function, location and characteristics of exposed risks; susceptibility of exposed risks to damage from an event with specific characteristics; and the financial and contractual provisions of the (re)insurance contracts that cover losses arising from an event. We run many model simulations in order to understand the impact of these assumptions on a catastrophe's loss potential. 35 35 35 Furthermore, there are risks associated with catastrophe events, which are either poorly represented or not represented at all by catastrophe models. Each modeling assumption or un-modeled risk introduces uncertainty into estimated modeled losses that management must consider. These uncertainties can include, but are not limited to, the following: •The models do not address all the possible hazard characteristics of a catastrophe peril (e.g. the precise path and wind speed of a hurricane); •The models may not accurately reflect the true frequency of events; •The models may not accurately reflect a risk's vulnerability or susceptibility to damage for a given event characteristic; •The models may not accurately represent loss potential to insurance or reinsurance contract coverage limits, terms and conditions; and •The models may not accurately reflect the impact on the economy of the area affected or the financial, judicial, political, or regulatory impact on insurance claim payments during or following a catastrophe event. As a result of these factors and contingencies, our reliance on assumptions and data used to estimate exceedance probability curves and modeled scenario losses is subject to a high degree of uncertainty that could result in actual losses that are materially different from our modeled estimates and our financial results could be adversely affected. --- ## New in Current Filing: Our employees could take excessive risks, which could negatively affect our financial condition and business. As an insurance enterprise, we are in the business of binding certain risks. The employees who conduct our business, including executive officers and other members of management, underwriters, product managers and other employees, do so in part by making decisions and choices that involve exposing us to risk. These include decisions such as setting underwriting guidelines and standards, product design and pricing, determining which business opportunities to pursue and other decisions. We endeavor, in the design and implementation of our compensation programs and practices, to avoid giving our employees incentives to take excessive risks. Employees may, however, take such risks regardless of the structure of our compensation programs and practices. Similarly, although we employ controls and procedures designed to monitor employees' business decisions and prevent them from taking excessive risks, these controls and procedures may not be effective. If our employees take excessive risks, the impact of those risks could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and business operations. --- ## Modified: Our increasing investment in and use of artificial intelligence technologies or their use by third-parties on which we rely could expose us to technological, security, legal, and other risks. **Key changes:** - Reworded sentence: "Products or services offered that develop or employ artificial intelligence ("AI") technologies, including generative AI and machine learning, offer potential benefits (e.g., efficiency) but likewise may raise technological, security, legal and other risks and challenges that may adversely affect our operations, business, or reputation." - Reworded sentence: "As we make significant investments in AI and related technology and increasingly rely on the use of AI by third parties, we may not achieve the expected operational and other benefits, or such benefits may take longer than anticipated, and our competitors may adopt AI technologies more effectively or efficiently than we do, which may adversely affect our market position and results of operations." - Reworded sentence: "Moreover, because some AI technologies such as generative AI are relatively new and rapidly evolving, many of the potential risks regarding their use are currently unknown." **Prior (2025):** Products or services offered that develop or adopt artificial intelligence ("AI") technologies, including generative AI and machine learning, offer potential benefits (e.g., with respect to efficiency) but likewise may raise technological, security, legal and other risks and challenges that may adversely affect our operations, business, or reputation. Such risks include the misuse, inadvertent or otherwise, of personal data or other sensitive, confidential or proprietary information; flaws in our models or training datasets resulting in biased, inaccurate or unanticipated outcomes; ethical considerations regarding the use and deployment of AI technologies; potential infringement of third-party intellectual property rights or the dilution of our intellectual property; and our ability to implement appropriate governance controls to ensure the ongoing, safe deployment of AI systems. AI technologies may be misused, and that risk is increased by the relative newness of the technology, the speed at which it is being adopted, and ongoing uncertainty with respect to the laws, regulations, and standards governing its 33 33 33 development and deployment federally, across states, and internationally. Such misuse, and a realization of the previously mentioned risks, could negatively impact our reputation, financial condition and results of operations, the demand for our products and services, otherwise cause competitive harm, and/or draw adverse legal and regulatory scrutiny. Moreover, because some AI technologies are relatively new, such as generative AI, many of the potential risks regarding their use are currently unknown. **Current (2026):** Products or services offered that develop or employ artificial intelligence ("AI") technologies, including generative AI and machine learning, offer potential benefits (e.g., efficiency) but likewise may raise technological, security, legal and other risks and challenges that may adversely affect our operations, business, or reputation. Such risks include the misuse, inadvertent or otherwise, of personal data or other sensitive, confidential or proprietary information; flaws in our models or training datasets resulting in biased, inaccurate or unanticipated outcomes; ethical considerations regarding the use and deployment of AI technologies; potential infringement of third-party intellectual property rights or the dilution of our intellectual property; and our ability to implement appropriate governance controls to ensure the ongoing, safe deployment of AI systems. As we make significant investments in AI and related technology and increasingly rely on the use of AI by third parties, we may not achieve the expected operational and other benefits, or such benefits may take longer than anticipated, and our competitors may adopt AI technologies more effectively or efficiently than we do, which may adversely affect our market position and results of operations. In addition, AI technologies may be misused, and that risk is increased by the relative newness of the technology, the speed at which it is being adopted, and ongoing uncertainty with respect to the laws, regulations, and standards governing its development and deployment federally, across states, and internationally. Such misuse, and a realization of the previously mentioned risks, could negatively impact our reputation, financial condition and results of operations, the demand for our products and services, otherwise cause competitive harm, and/or draw adverse legal and regulatory scrutiny. Moreover, because some AI technologies such as generative AI are relatively new and rapidly evolving, many of the potential risks regarding their use are currently unknown. Our investment in and use of AI technologies and the introduction of new products and services may also expose us to new or enhanced risks, particularly in areas where we have less experience or our existing internal control systems may be insufficient, which could require us to make substantial expenditures or subject us to legal liability, heightened regulatory scrutiny and brand or reputational harm. --- ## Modified: Certain provisions in our organizational and other documents (such as voting and other arrangements with Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd.) may have the effect of hindering, delaying or preventing third party takeovers and thus may prevent our stockholders from receiving premium prices for their shares in an unsolicited takeover or make it more difficult for third parties to replace our current management. **Key changes:** - Reworded sentence: "These provisions include: •our classified board of directors and the ability of our board to increase its size and to appoint directors to fill newly created directorships; and •the requirement that the holders of 80% of our shares must approve mergers and other transactions between us and the holder of 5% or more of our shares, unless the transaction was approved by our board of directors prior to such holder's acquisition of 5% of our shares." **Prior (2025):** Provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws, as well as state insurance statutes, may hinder, delay or prevent unsolicited acquisitions or changes of our control. These provisions may also have the effect of making it more difficult for third parties to cause the replacement of our current management without the concurrence of our Board of Directors. These provisions include: •our classified board of directors and the ability of our board to increase its size and to appoint directors to fill newly created directorships; •the requirement that the holders of 80% of our shares must approve mergers and other transactions between us and the holder of 5% or more of our shares, unless the transaction was approved by our board of directors prior to such holder's acquisition of 5% of our shares; and •the need for advance notice in order to raise business or make nominations at stockholders' meetings. These provisions may discourage potential acquisition proposals and may delay, deter or prevent a change in control of us through transactions, and in particular unsolicited transactions, that some or all of our stockholders might consider to be desirable. **Current (2026):** Provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws, as well as state insurance statutes, may hinder, delay or prevent unsolicited acquisitions or changes of our control. These provisions may also have the effect of making it more difficult for third parties to cause the replacement of our current management without the concurrence of our Board of Directors. These provisions include: •our classified board of directors and the ability of our board to increase its size and to appoint directors to fill newly created directorships; and •the requirement that the holders of 80% of our shares must approve mergers and other transactions between us and the holder of 5% or more of our shares, unless the transaction was approved by our board of directors prior to such holder's acquisition of 5% of our shares. In addition, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. ("MSI"), which owns approximately 14.7% of our common stock as of February 23, 2026, has entered into voting and other arrangements with members of the Berkley family, such that the Berkley family can, subject to certain exceptions, determine the voting of the Company shares held by MSI, including with respect to an 40 40 40 extraordinary transaction, other than one expected to result in a business combination that would give rise to a significant, direct and irresolvable conflict of interest for MSI. These provisions may discourage potential acquisition proposals and may delay, deter or prevent a change in control of us through transactions, and in particular unsolicited transactions, that some or all of our stockholders might consider to be desirable. 41 41 41 --- *Data sourced from SEC EDGAR. Last updated 2026-06-01.*