Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Reduces Stock Position in Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company $WTW

Key Points

• Artisan Partners cut its WTW stake by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, but still held 3.46 million shares worth about $1.14 billion, making Willis Towers Watson its 15th-largest position.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with 93.09% of WTW shares held by hedge funds and other institutional investors; several firms, including Dodge & Cox and Norges Bank, increased or initiated sizable positions.
• WTW posted solid quarterly results, beating EPS estimates at $3.72 per share and growing revenue 8.5% year over year, while also announcing a $0.96 quarterly dividend and receiving a “Moderate Buy” analyst consensus with a $350 price target.

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership reduced its position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Free Report) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,461,646 shares of the company's stock after selling 83,192 shares during the period. Willis Towers Watson Public accounts for approximately 1.7% of Artisan Partners Limited Partnership's portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership owned 3.62% of Willis Towers Watson Public worth $1,137,497,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WTW. Dodge & Cox boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 90.7% during the fourth quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 6,925,525 shares of the company's stock worth $2,275,728,000 after purchasing an additional 3,293,334 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public during the fourth quarter worth about $511,151,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public during the fourth quarter worth about $284,570,000. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 657.3% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 941,637 shares of the company's stock worth $309,422,000 after purchasing an additional 817,301 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 80.2% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,038,275 shares of the company's stock worth $318,231,000 after purchasing an additional 462,249 shares during the period. 93.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WTW has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $379.00 to $351.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $353.00 to $338.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $384.00 to $380.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $341.00 to $283.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $350.00.

Willis Towers Watson Public Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WTW opened at $259.65 on Wednesday. Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company has a fifty-two week low of $240.61 and a fifty-two week high of $352.79. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $268.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $296.51. The company has a market capitalization of $24.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 2.92 and a current ratio of 2.92.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $3.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.65 by $0.07. Willis Towers Watson Public had a net margin of 16.84% and a return on equity of 21.52%. The business had revenue of $2.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.13 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company will post 19.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Willis Towers Watson Public Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.96 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $3.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Willis Towers Watson Public's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Towers Watson Public

In other news, insider Lucy Clarke purchased 1,896 shares of Willis Towers Watson Public stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was bought at an average price of $263.37 per share, with a total value of $499,349.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 22,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,982,976.29. The trade was a 9.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Willis Towers Watson Public Profile

Willis Towers Watson Public NASDAQ: WTW is a global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps organizations manage risk, optimize benefits and cultivate talent. The firm combines insurance brokerage and risk management capabilities with human capital and benefits consulting, actuarial and analytics services, and technology-enabled solutions. Willis Towers Watson serves a broad client base that includes multinational and mid-sized corporations, public sector organizations, insurers and investment managers.

The company's core activities encompass commercial and reinsurance brokerage, risk transfer and risk-financing advice, and claims advocacy, alongside employee benefits and retirement consulting.

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