16,772 Shares of Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company $WTW Acquired by Rakuten Investment Management Inc.

Key Points

• Rakuten Investment Management acquired 16,772 WTW shares in the third quarter, worth approximately $4.84 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 93.09% of the company’s stock.
• WTW reported quarterly earnings of $3.63 per share, topping the $3.59 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 7.5% year over year to $2.46 billion.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $370.11; the company’s annualized dividend is $3.84 per share, a 1.2% yield.

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 16,772 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,840,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Willis Towers Watson Public during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $7,239,000. Profund Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public by 9.5% in the third quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 867 shares of the company's stock valued at $250,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Vise Technologies Inc. lifted its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 20.0% during the third quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 2,022 shares of the company's stock valued at $583,000 after buying an additional 337 shares in the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 6.5% during the third quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 62,154 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,915,000 after buying an additional 3,795 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MGO One Seven LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Towers Watson Public during the third quarter worth approximately $206,000. 93.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Willis Towers Watson Public Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of WTW traded down $7.65 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $328.86. 377,078 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 546,880. The firm has a market cap of $30.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.06, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.44. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $313.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $297.46. Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company has a 12-month low of $240.61 and a 12-month high of $351.51. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74.

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

Willis Towers Watson Public Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th were issued a $0.96 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $3.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Willis Towers Watson Public's payout ratio is currently 23.43%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WTW has been the subject of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $385.00 to $361.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Mizuho set a $370.00 target price on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public in a report on Monday. Barclays upped 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 report on Wednesday, October 7th. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $340.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Citigroup lowered Willis Towers Watson Public from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $300.00 to $345.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Willis Towers Watson Public has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $370.11.

Willis Towers Watson Public Company Profile

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.

The company was formed in 2016 through the merger of Willis Group Holdings and Towers Watson.

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