SEB Asset Management AB Buys Shares of 37,133 Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company $WTW

Key Points

• SEB Asset Management AB opened a new position in Willis Towers Watson Public, buying 37,133 shares worth about $10.8 million in the first quarter.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 93.09% of WTW stock held by hedge funds and other institutional investors; several other funds also increased their stakes.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on the stock, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $351.80, while the company recently beat quarterly EPS estimates and paid a $0.96 dividend.

SEB Asset Management AB bought a new position in Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 37,133 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,795,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Swiss National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 281,010 shares of the company's stock valued at $81,690,000 after buying an additional 13,680 shares in the last quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd bought a new position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public during the 1st quarter worth approximately $842,000. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 21.1% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,640 shares of the company's stock valued at $476,000 after acquiring an additional 286 shares during the last quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC lifted its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 12.9% during the first quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 19,493 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,667,000 after acquiring an additional 2,222 shares during the last quarter. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 13.5% in the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 16,648 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,840,000 after acquiring an additional 1,976 shares in the last quarter. 93.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Lucy Clarke bought 1,896 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $263.37 per share, for a total transaction of $499,349.52. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 22,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,982,976.29. This represents a 9.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WTW has been the topic of several analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $380.00 to $381.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $322.00 to $344.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $374.00 to $382.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen raised Willis Towers Watson Public from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price target on Willis Towers Watson Public from $283.00 to $317.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. 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 stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $351.80.

Willis Towers Watson Public Stock Performance

WTW opened at $293.30 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.92, a quick ratio of 2.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company has a 12-month low of $240.61 and a 12-month high of $352.79. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $265.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $288.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.70 billion, a PE ratio of 17.10, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.43.

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

Willis Towers Watson Public Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were issued a $0.96 dividend. This represents a $3.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. Willis Towers Watson Public's payout ratio is 22.39%.

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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