Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts consensus: 16 research firms rate Willis Towers Watson as a "Moderate Buy" (6 holds, 9 buys, 1 strong buy) with an average 1‑year price target of about $366.29.
• Quarterly results: WTW beat estimates with EPS of $8.12 versus $7.93 and revenue of $2.94B versus $2.87B, although revenue was down 3.3% year‑over‑year.
• Shareholder profile and payout: The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.96 ($3.84 annualized, 1.3% yield) and about 93.09% of the stock is held by institutional investors; the shares trade near $295.83 with a market cap of $27.87B and a P/E of 18.06.

Shares of Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the sixteen research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $366.2857.

WTW has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $330.00 to $320.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $388.00 to $384.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $365.00 to $341.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $354.00 to $347.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Evercore upped their target price on Willis Towers Watson Public from $383.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Towers Watson Public

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WTW. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new position in Willis Towers Watson Public in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 375.0% during the 4th quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 76 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac bought a new stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. grew its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 8,200.0% in the third quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 83 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 72.5% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 88 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. 93.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Willis Towers Watson Public Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ WTW opened at $295.83 on Friday. Willis Towers Watson Public has a 52 week low of $273.59 and a 52 week high of $352.79. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $292.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $315.42. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a market cap of $27.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.62.

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

Willis Towers Watson Public Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.96 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. This is a positive change from Willis Towers Watson Public's previous quarterly dividend of $0.92. This represents a $3.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Willis Towers Watson Public's payout ratio is presently 23.44%.

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.

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