Pacer Advisors Inc. Has $3.49 Million Stake in Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company $WTW

Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its position in Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW) by 35.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,623 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,775 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Willis Towers Watson Public were worth $3,491,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 38.6% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 744 shares of the company’s stock worth $244,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Avantra Family Wealth Inc. boosted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Avantra Family Wealth Inc. now owns 1,484 shares of the company’s stock worth $488,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Willis Towers Watson Public by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 982 shares of the company’s stock worth $340,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 1,631 shares of the company’s stock valued at $564,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.09% of the company’s stock.

Willis Towers Watson Public Stock Down 3.7%

WTW stock opened at $242.12 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.92, a quick ratio of 2.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company has a 1 year low of $240.63 and a 1 year high of $352.79. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $285.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $307.28. The firm has a market cap of $22.87 billion, a PE ratio of 14.12, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.45.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $3.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $2.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.13 EPS. Willis Towers Watson Public’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company will post 19.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Willis Towers Watson Public Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were paid a $0.96 dividend. This represents a $3.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. This is a boost from Willis Towers Watson Public’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.92. Willis Towers Watson Public’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.39%.

Insider Activity

In other Willis Towers Watson Public news, insider Lucy Clarke acquired 1,896 shares of Willis Towers Watson Public stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was acquired at an average price 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Willis Towers Watson Public

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

• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $380 price target, signaling continued analyst confidence in Willis Towers Watson’s long-term prospects.
• Positive Sentiment: WTW’s Willis unit launched a new integrated carbon capture and storage insurance solution, which could support growth by expanding the company’s specialty risk offerings into an emerging market. Willis launches integrated risk and insurance solution for carbon capture
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts also continue to view the stock favorably overall, with coverage indicating a “moderate buy” consensus.
• Negative Sentiment: Two shareholder law firms, Schall Law Firm and Pomerantz LLP, announced investigations into possible securities-law violations and alleged misleading statements by the company, which can raise concerns about legal risk and possible distraction/costs. WTW Investors Have Opportunity to Join Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company Fraud Investigation with the Schall Law Firm
• Negative Sentiment: WTW also faced a modest price-target cut from KBW, which may add to investor caution even though the firm kept its bullish rating.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WTW has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $341.00 to $322.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Evercore lifted their target price on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $383.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup raised shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $354.00 to $347.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public from $409.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Willis Towers Watson Public presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $351.73.

Willis Towers Watson Public 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.