Marks Group Wealth Management Inc Buys New Shares in Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company $WTW

Key Points

• Marks Group Wealth Management opened a new position in Willis Towers Watson Public, buying 4,141 shares valued at about $1.36 million in the fourth quarter.
• WTW reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $3.72 per share, while revenue came in at $2.41 billion and rose 8.5% year over year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.96 per share, implying an annualized payout of $3.84 and a 1.5% yield.

Marks Group Wealth Management Inc bought a new stake in Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 4,141 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,361,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WTW. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,368 shares of the company's stock valued at $429,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 7.6% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,588 shares of the company's stock valued at $875,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 16.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,400 shares of the company's stock valued at $811,000 after buying an additional 347 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 38.6% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 140 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 12.6% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 14,806 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,538,000 after buying an additional 1,659 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.09% of the company's stock.

Willis Towers Watson Public Stock Performance

Shares of WTW opened at $261.16 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 2.92 and a quick ratio of 2.92. Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company has a one year low of $240.61 and a one year high of $352.79. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $271.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $298.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.67 billion, a PE ratio of 15.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.43.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $3.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $2.41 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.13 earnings per share. Willis Towers Watson Public's quarterly revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company will post 19.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Willis Towers Watson Public Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Lucy Clarke acquired 1,896 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $263.37 per share, for a total transaction of $499,349.52. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 22,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,982,976.29. This represents a 9.11% increase in their position. The purchase 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on WTW. Truist Financial upgraded shares of Willis Towers Watson Public to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $347.00 to $300.00 in a report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $341.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their target price on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $363.00 to $354.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $350.00.

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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