Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company $WTW Position Boosted by Hsbc Holdings PLC

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings PLC increased its stake in Willis Towers Watson by 44.3% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 102,296 shares worth about $33.8 million.
• Several other institutional investors also added to or initiated positions, and hedge funds and other institutions now own 93.09% of the stock.
• Willis Towers Watson reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $3.72 beating estimates and revenue rising 8.5% year over year; the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.96 per share.

Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Free Report) by 44.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 102,296 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 31,383 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned about 0.11% of Willis Towers Watson Public worth $33,821,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WTW. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 690,210 shares of the company's stock valued at $226,803,000 after buying an additional 10,697 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 945.0% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 57,641 shares of the company's stock valued at $18,941,000 after acquiring an additional 52,125 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 45.7% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 20,225 shares of the company's stock worth $6,646,000 after acquiring an additional 6,340 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public in the fourth quarter worth $511,151,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 7.5% during the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 179,771 shares of the company's stock worth $62,102,000 after acquiring an additional 12,575 shares in the last quarter. 93.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Lucy Clarke purchased 1,896 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were bought at an average price 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 in the company, valued at approximately $5,982,976.29. This trade represents a 9.11% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Willis Towers Watson Public Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WTW opened at $287.66 on Tuesday. 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $261.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $291.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.43. 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 (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $3.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.65 by $0.07. Willis Towers Watson Public had a return on equity of 21.52% and a net margin of 16.84%.The company had revenue of $2.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.13 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company will post 19.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Willis Towers Watson Public Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given 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 yield of 1.3%. Willis Towers Watson Public's dividend payout ratio is presently 22.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WTW. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $379.00 to $351.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group cut their price target on Willis Towers Watson Public from $400.00 to $374.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Truist Financial upgraded Willis Towers Watson Public to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. BMO Capital Markets raised Willis Towers Watson Public from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $347.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Willis Towers Watson Public from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $350.00.

About Willis Towers Watson Public

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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