Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Estimate for WTW Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research trimmed its Q3 2026 EPS estimate for Willis Towers Watson Public to $3.56 from $3.60, reflecting a slightly more cautious outlook on the insurer-brokerage firm.
• WTW’s latest quarterly results were better than expected, with EPS of $3.72 beating the consensus estimate of $3.65 and revenue of $2.41 billion matching forecasts.
• Despite mixed analyst sentiment and several lowered price targets, the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating; WTW also recently raised its quarterly dividend to $0.96 per share.

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW - Free Report) - Research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Willis Towers Watson Public in a research report issued on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $3.56 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $3.60. The consensus estimate for Willis Towers Watson Public's current full-year earnings is $19.52 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Willis Towers Watson Public's Q4 2026 earnings at $9.07 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $19.46 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $4.06 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $4.16 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $21.64 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $23.62 EPS.

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

WTW has been the topic of several other research reports. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $409.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 4th. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $363.00 to $354.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Barclays cut their price target on Willis Towers Watson Public from $341.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target 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. Finally, 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 research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Willis Towers Watson Public currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $351.73.

Willis Towers Watson Public Price Performance

NASDAQ:WTW opened at $248.38 on Monday. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $282.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $306.16. Willis Towers Watson Public has a 52-week low of $240.61 and a 52-week high of $352.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 2.92 and a current ratio of 2.92. The company has a market cap of $23.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.45.

Institutional Trading of Willis Towers Watson Public

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WTW. Dodge & Cox raised its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 90.7% during the 4th quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 6,925,525 shares of the company's stock worth $2,275,728,000 after buying an additional 3,293,334 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Willis Towers Watson Public during the 4th quarter worth $511,151,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Towers Watson Public during the 4th quarter worth $284,570,000. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 657.3% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 941,637 shares of the company's stock worth $309,422,000 after buying an additional 817,301 shares during the period. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 23.4% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,505,195 shares of the company's stock worth $1,151,808,000 after buying an additional 664,202 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.09% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Lucy Clarke bought 1,896 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $263.37 per share, for a total transaction of $499,349.52. Following the completion of the acquisition, 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 position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company's stock.

Willis Towers Watson Public Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a $0.96 dividend. This represents a $3.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. This is a boost from Willis Towers Watson Public's previous quarterly dividend of $0.92. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. 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.

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