Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW) Price Target Raised to $384.00

Key Points

• Mizuho raised its WTW price target to $384 from $370 and maintained an “outperform” rating, implying 14.03% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: MarketBeat reports a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $370.89, based on one Strong Buy, 12 Buy, and six Hold ratings.
• WTW beat quarterly estimates, reporting EPS of $3.63 versus $3.59 expected and revenue of $2.46 billion; revenue increased 7.5% year over year.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by equities researchers at Mizuho from $370.00 to $384.00 in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "outperform" rating on the stock. Mizuho's price target suggests a potential upside of 14.03% from the company's previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on WTW. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $398.00 to $395.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Willis Towers Watson Public from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Citigroup downgraded Willis Towers Watson Public from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $300.00 to $345.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $303.00 to $332.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $350.00 to $310.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $370.89.

Willis Towers Watson Public Trading Up 2.4%

Shares of NASDAQ WTW traded up $7.96 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $336.74. 105,675 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 670,906. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.52, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.44. Willis Towers Watson Public has a 52-week low of $240.61 and a 52-week high of $351.51. The company's 50-day moving average is $313.04 and its 200-day moving average is $297.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a current ratio of 1.62.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $3.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.59 by $0.04. Willis Towers Watson Public had a net margin of 15.22% and a return on equity of 22.65%. The company had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.45 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.07 earnings per share. Willis Towers Watson Public's revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Willis Towers Watson Public will post 19.80 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Towers Watson Public

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. National Pension Service raised its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 15.4% in the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 170,881 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,663,000 after buying an additional 22,767 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public by 196.6% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 37,826 shares of the company's stock worth $9,887,000 after buying an additional 25,071 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Towers Watson Public during the 1st quarter worth about $30,058,000. Polianta Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,698,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 145.3% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 16,504 shares of the company's stock worth $4,314,000 after acquiring an additional 9,775 shares in the last quarter. 93.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Willis Towers Watson Public

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company, which operates under the WTW name, is a global advisory, broking and solutions firm. It helps organizations manage risk, improve employee benefits and support workforce and business performance. WTW's services include insurance and risk brokerage, risk management advice, retirement and investment consulting, health and benefits solutions, and guidance on talent, rewards and organizational strategy. It serves businesses, public-sector organizations and individuals across a range of industries.

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