Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Sells 11,119 Shares of Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company $WTW

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group trimmed its stake in Willis Towers Watson by 4.4%, selling 11,119 shares and leaving it with 239,497 shares (about 0.25% of the company) valued at roughly $78.7 million at quarter-end.
• Willis Towers Watson beat Q results with $8.12 EPS versus $7.93 expected and $2.94 billion in revenue (down 3.3% YoY), and the board raised the quarterly dividend to $0.96 (annualized $3.84, ~1.3% yield).
• Institutional investors own about 93.1% of the stock, and analysts maintain a mixed but overall “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $366.29 amid recent target and rating revisions.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Free Report) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 239,497 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,119 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned about 0.25% of Willis Towers Watson Public worth $78,699,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WTW. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,368 shares of the company's stock worth $429,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 7.6% in 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 in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 16.9% in 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 last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 38.6% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 140 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public by 12.6% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 14,806 shares of the company's stock worth $4,538,000 after acquiring an additional 1,659 shares during the last quarter. 93.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Willis Towers Watson Public Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ WTW opened at $288.48 on Wednesday. Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company has a 1 year low of $273.59 and a 1 year high of $352.79. The firm's 50-day moving average is $294.46 and its 200-day moving average is $315.72. The company has a current ratio of 2.21, a quick ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.17 billion, a PE ratio of 17.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.62.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $8.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.93 by $0.19. Willis Towers Watson Public had a net margin of 16.53% and a return on equity of 20.91%. The business had revenue of $2.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $8.13 earnings per share. Willis Towers Watson Public's revenue for the quarter was down 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company will post 17.32 EPS for the current year.

Willis Towers Watson Public Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.96 dividend. This is an increase from Willis Towers Watson Public's previous quarterly dividend of $0.92. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $3.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Willis Towers Watson Public's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WTW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. 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 research note on Thursday, April 9th. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $380.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $365.00 to $341.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $341.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $366.29.

Willis Towers Watson Public Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.