July 21 (Reuters) - Commercial insurer W. R. Berkley ( WRB )

reported a rise in second-quarter profit on

Monday, boosted by robust investment gains and steady

underwriting performance.

The earnings underscore investor preference for companies

shielded from tariff-related risks amid persistent uncertainty

over U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policy.

The Greenwich, Connecticut-based insurer's net written

premiums rose 7.2% to a record $3.35 billion in the quarter, as

businesses and individuals continued to invest in insurance

coverage to guard against risks despite a period of economic

uncertainty.

Net investment income rose 1.9% to a record $379.3 million

in the second quarter, largely driven by higher returns from its

growing domestic fixed maturity portfolio.

Last week, industry bellwether Travelers reported

better-than-expected quarterly profit on stronger underwriting.

The company's quarterly catastrophe losses surged more than

10.7% to $99.2 million from $89.7 million a year earlier.

The company reported a combined ratio of 91.6%, compared to

91.1% a year earlier. A ratio below 100% shows that an insurer

earned more in premiums than it paid out in claims.

In recent years, insurers have faced heavy losses from

increasingly frequent and destructive natural disasters,

including hurricanes, floods and wildfires.

For the three months ended June 30, W. R. Berkley ( WRB ) reported a

profit for common stockholders amounting to $401.3 million, or

$1 per share, a rise from $371.9 million, or 92 cents per share,

last year.