Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Outlook of WTW Q1 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research trimmed WTW's near‑term EPS estimates, cutting Q1 2027 to $4.27 (from $4.33) and nudging FY2027 to $21.73, a string of small downward revisions that likely pressured the stock.
• The stock holds a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average analyst price target of $366.29 versus Friday's open near $290.89, indicating notable implied upside despite mixed analyst target moves.
• WTW increased its quarterly dividend to $0.96 ($3.84 annualized), a ~1.3% yield and roughly a 23.4% payout ratio.

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2027 EPS estimates for Willis Towers Watson Public in a research report issued on Wednesday, April 22nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $4.27 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $4.33. The consensus estimate for Willis Towers Watson Public's current full-year earnings is $19.51 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Willis Towers Watson Public's Q2 2027 earnings at $4.30 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $4.37 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $21.73 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on WTW. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $358.00 to $353.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $351.00 to $366.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their target price on Willis Towers Watson Public from $363.00 to $354.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $341.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on Willis Towers Watson Public from $398.00 to $409.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $366.29.

Willis Towers Watson Public Stock Performance

WTW opened at $290.89 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Willis Towers Watson Public has a 12-month low of $273.59 and a 12-month high of $352.79. The business has a 50 day moving average of $292.91 and a 200-day moving average of $313.68. The stock has a market cap of $27.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.76, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.62.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $8.12 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $2.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $8.13 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis.

Willis Towers Watson Public Increases Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Willis Towers Watson Public

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. World Investment Advisors raised its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 4.7% in the third quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 779 shares of the company's stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Ethic Inc. increased its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 14,050 shares of the company's stock worth $4,853,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. AlTi Global Inc. lifted its position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 1.1% during the 4th 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 raised its position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 72.5% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 88 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, Gateway Investment Advisers LLC grew its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 2,284 shares of the company's stock valued at $789,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. 93.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Willis Towers Watson Public

Here are the key news stories impacting Willis Towers Watson Public this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised late‑year/near‑term estimates — they lifted Q4 2026 to $8.94 (from $8.82) and Q4 2027 to $8.80, and nudged FY2026 higher to $19.26. These upward revisions suggest stronger results for the back half of the year and provide some offset to other cuts.
• Positive Sentiment: WTW announced a multi‑year global partnership with the INEOS Grenadiers cycling team, a brand/marketing tie that can help client visibility and talent/recruiting efforts. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary piece from Zacks highlights that WTW has the components for an earnings beat in its next report, useful for context but not a direct estimate change. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed several near‑term EPS forecasts on April 22: Q1 2027 to $4.27 (from $4.33), Q2 2027 to $4.30 (from $4.33), Q3 2027 to $4.37 (from $4.39) and nudged FY2027 to $21.73 (from $21.79). They also cut Q1 2028 slightly to $5.21. Though the moves are modest, the concentration of downward revisions to upcoming quarters likely pressured shares today.

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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