Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company $WTW Shares Acquired by Alberta Investment Management Corp

Key Points

• Alberta Investment Management Corp increased its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 12.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 15,400 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 140,400 shares worth about $46.1 million.
• Several other institutional investors also boosted their positions, and hedge funds and other institutions now own 93.09% of the company’s stock.
• WTW reported stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings, with EPS of $3.72 topping estimates and revenue rising 8.5% year over year; the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.96 per share.

Alberta Investment Management Corp grew its holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Free Report) by 12.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 140,400 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,400 shares during the period. Alberta Investment Management Corp owned approximately 0.15% of Willis Towers Watson Public worth $46,135,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of WTW. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,368 shares of the company's stock valued at $429,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 7.6% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,588 shares of the company's stock valued at $875,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 16.9% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,400 shares of the company's stock worth $811,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.09% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on WTW shares. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their target price on Willis Towers Watson Public from $363.00 to $354.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Truist Financial raised Willis Towers Watson Public to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings lowered Willis Towers Watson Public from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Willis Towers Watson Public from $330.00 to $320.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Willis Towers Watson Public from $379.00 to $351.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Two research 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 MarketBeat.com, Willis Towers Watson Public currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $350.00.

Willis Towers Watson Public Price Performance

WTW stock opened at $257.85 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 2.92 and a quick ratio of 2.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.03, a P/E/G ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.43. The business's 50-day moving average is $268.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $296.94. Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company has a 1 year low of $240.61 and a 1 year high of $352.79.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $2.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.41 billion. Willis Towers Watson Public had a return on equity of 21.52% and a net margin of 16.84%.Willis Towers Watson Public's revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.13 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company will post 19.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Willis Towers Watson Public Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Willis Towers Watson Public's dividend payout ratio is presently 22.39%.

Insider Activity at Willis Towers Watson Public

In other Willis Towers Watson Public news, insider Lucy Clarke acquired 1,896 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $263.37 per share, for a total transaction of $499,349.52. Following the acquisition, the insider owned 22,717 shares in the company, valued at $5,982,976.29. The trade was a 9.11% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.40% of the company's stock.

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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