Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company $WTW Position Boosted by Ethic Inc.

Ethic Inc. raised its holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW) by 15.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,176 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,974 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public were worth $4,374,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Raiffeisen Bank International AG increased its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 37.8% during the 2nd quarter. Raiffeisen Bank International AG now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,056 shares of the company’s stock valued at $304,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Ascent Group LLC lifted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 1,081 shares of the company’s stock valued at $312,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 3,064 shares of the company’s stock valued at $801,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public by 6.1% during the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 699 shares of the company’s stock valued at $201,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. 93.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Willis Towers Watson Public Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ WTW opened at $332.87 on Wednesday. Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company has a 1 year low of $240.61 and a 1 year high of $351.51. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $313.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $297.55. The firm has a market cap of $30.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a current ratio of 1.62.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $3.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.59 by $0.04. Willis Towers Watson Public had a return on equity of 22.65% and a net margin of 15.22%. The firm had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.45 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.07 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company will post 19.80 earnings per share for the current year.

Willis Towers Watson Public Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th were given a $0.96 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $3.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Willis Towers Watson Public’s dividend payout ratio is presently 23.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on WTW. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Willis Towers Watson Public from $365.00 to $332.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $364.00 to $360.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $385.00 to $361.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Barclays increased their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $303.00 to $332.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $350.00 to $310.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Willis Towers Watson Public currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $370.11.

Willis Towers Watson Public Company Profile

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company, which operates under the WTW name, is a global advisory, broking and solutions firm. It helps organizations manage risk, improve employee benefits and support workforce and business performance. WTW’s services include insurance and risk brokerage, risk management advice, retirement and investment consulting, health and benefits solutions, and guidance on talent, rewards and organizational strategy. It serves businesses, public-sector organizations and individuals across a range of industries.