Zacks Research Issues Negative Estimate for WTW Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research trimmed its Q1 2028 EPS estimate for Willis Towers Watson Public to $4.65 from $4.68, while also projecting FY2028 earnings of $23.55 per share.
• WTW’s recent results were solid, as the company reported Q1 EPS of $3.72, topping consensus estimates by $0.07, with revenue of $2.41 billion in line with expectations and up 8.5% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive overall, with an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a $350 average target price, even though several firms recently lowered their price targets. The stock also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.96, yielding about 1.5%.

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2028 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Willis Towers Watson Public in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, June 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $4.65 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $4.68. The consensus estimate for Willis Towers Watson Public's current full-year earnings is $19.53 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Willis Towers Watson Public's FY2028 earnings at $23.55 EPS.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on WTW. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $341.00 to $283.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $384.00 to $380.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. UBS Group dropped 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 report on Tuesday, June 9th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $353.00 to $338.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Willis Towers Watson Public from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two research 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Willis Towers Watson Public has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $350.00.

Willis Towers Watson Public Price Performance

Willis Towers Watson Public stock opened at $255.20 on Friday. Willis Towers Watson Public has a 52-week low of $240.61 and a 52-week high of $352.79. The company has a quick ratio of 2.92, a current ratio of 2.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm's fifty day moving average is $267.07 and its 200 day moving average is $295.61. The company has a market cap of $24.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.88, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.43.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $3.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.65 by $0.07. Willis Towers Watson Public had a net margin of 16.84% and a return on equity of 21.52%. The firm had revenue of $2.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.41 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.13 earnings per share. Willis Towers Watson Public's revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Trading of Willis Towers Watson Public

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WTW. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 74.1% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 6,299 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,831,000 after buying an additional 2,682 shares during the last quarter. Carlson Capital L.P. purchased a new position in Willis Towers Watson Public during the 1st quarter valued at $320,000. Glenmede Trust Co. NA grew its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 134.3% in the 1st quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 4,166 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,211,000 after acquiring an additional 2,388 shares during the last quarter. Summitry LLC grew its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 11.2% in the 1st quarter. Summitry LLC now owns 962 shares of the company's stock valued at $280,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Towers Watson Public in the first quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors own 93.09% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Willis Towers Watson Public

In other news, insider Lucy Clarke purchased 1,896 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $263.37 per share, with a total value of $499,349.52. Following the purchase, the insider owned 22,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,982,976.29. This trade represents a 9.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the company's stock.

Willis Towers Watson Public Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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. This represents a $3.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. Willis Towers Watson Public's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.39%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.