Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW) Stock Price Expected to Rise, The Goldman Sachs Group Analyst Says

Key Points

• Goldman Sachs raised its price target for Willis Towers Watson from $316 to $385 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying 12.61% upside from the prior close. Analysts overall rate the stock “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus target of $361.25.
• WTW shares rose 1.8% to $341.90 in Monday trading. The company recently exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted earnings of $3.35 per share versus the $3.12 consensus and revenue of $2.47 billion, up 9.1% year over year.
• Institutional investors own 93.09% of the stock, while insider ownership stands at 0.40%; insider Lucy Clarke recently purchased 1,896 shares for approximately $499,350.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by research analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $316.00 to $385.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group's price target indicates a potential upside of 12.61% from the company's previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Willis Towers Watson Public from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and cut their target price for the company from $347.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America cut their price target on Willis Towers Watson Public from $354.00 to $347.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of 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. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $338.00 to $361.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $345.00 price target (up from $300.00) on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public in a research note on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $361.25.

Willis Towers Watson Public Trading Up 1.8%

Willis Towers Watson Public stock traded up $5.98 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $341.90. 400,986 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 741,256. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.04, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.42. Willis Towers Watson Public has a 12 month low of $240.61 and a 12 month high of $352.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $275.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $286.62.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $3.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.12 by $0.23. Willis Towers Watson Public had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 22.19%. The company had revenue of $2.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.42 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.86 earnings per share. Willis Towers Watson Public's revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Willis Towers Watson Public will post 19.67 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Willis Towers Watson Public

In other Willis Towers Watson Public news, insider Lucy Clarke bought 1,896 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 acquisition, the insider directly owned 22,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,982,976.29. The trade was a 9.11% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Willis Towers Watson Public

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AlTi Global Inc. boosted its position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. AlTi Global Inc. now owns 3,302 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,088,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 72.5% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 88 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 3,064 shares of the company's stock worth $801,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,939 shares of the company's stock worth $966,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 38.6% in 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. 93.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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