Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW) Receives $369.38 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, ten have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $370.5625.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on WTW shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $315.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $344.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays cut their target price on Willis Towers Watson Public from $322.00 to $303.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their target price on Willis Towers Watson Public from $406.00 to $380.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Towers Watson Public

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Raiffeisen Bank International AG grew its holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public by 37.8% in the 2nd quarter. Raiffeisen Bank International AG now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 72.5% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 88 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 1.3% in the second quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 3,064 shares of the company’s stock valued at $801,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. 44 Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,939 shares of the company’s stock valued at $966,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Pettyjohn Wood & White Inc. grew its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. Pettyjohn Wood & White Inc. now owns 723 shares of the company’s stock worth $238,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. 93.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Willis Towers Watson Public Trading Down 2.8%

NASDAQ WTW opened at $312.91 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $29.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.41. Willis Towers Watson Public has a 12 month low of $240.61 and a 12 month high of $352.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.68. The company has a 50-day moving average of $322.75 and a 200-day moving average of $292.07.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $3.35 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $2.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.42 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.86 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Willis Towers Watson Public will post 19.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Willis Towers Watson Public Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.96 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $3.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Willis Towers Watson Public’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.62%.

Willis Towers Watson Public Company Profile

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ: WTW) is a global advisory, insurance brokerage and solutions firm serving organizations, institutions and individuals. The company helps clients manage risk, optimize benefits and support workforce performance through a combination of consulting expertise, data, analytics and technology.

WTW’s businesses include risk and insurance brokerage, corporate risk management, actuarial and insurance consulting, retirement and investment consulting, and health and benefits advisory services.