Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:WTW) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 3,909,211 shares, an increase of 49.6% from the December 15th total of 2,613,526 shares. Currently, 4.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 582,578 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.7 days. Based on an average daily volume of 582,578 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.7 days. Currently, 4.1% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Willis Towers Watson Public Price Performance

Shares of Willis Towers Watson Public stock traded up $0.92 on Friday, hitting $329.41. The company had a trading volume of 505,122 shares, compared to its average volume of 465,235. The company has a market cap of $31.54 billion, a PE ratio of 15.68, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.69 and a quick ratio of 1.69. Willis Towers Watson Public has a 52 week low of $292.97 and a 52 week high of $352.79. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $325.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $326.04.

Willis Towers Watson Public (NASDAQ:WTW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.28 billion. Willis Towers Watson Public had a return on equity of 21.46% and a net margin of 21.58%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.93 EPS. Research analysts expect that Willis Towers Watson Public will post 17.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Willis Towers Watson Public Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Willis Towers Watson Public’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.52%.

Institutional Trading of Willis Towers Watson Public

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Quadcap Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Willis Towers Watson Public by 4.8% in the second quarter. Quadcap Wealth Management LLC now owns 747 shares of the company’s stock worth $229,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital raised its position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 3.8% during the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 919 shares of the company’s stock worth $322,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 4.7% during the third quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 779 shares of the company’s stock valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 10.1% during the second quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 392 shares of the company’s stock valued at $120,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ethic Inc. boosted its position in shares of Willis Towers Watson Public by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 14,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,853,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. 93.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on WTW shares. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $400.00 price target (up from $380.00) on shares of Willis Towers Watson Public in a research report on Monday, September 22nd. Mizuho initiated coverage on Willis Towers Watson Public in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $386.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Willis Towers Watson Public from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Willis Towers Watson Public from $303.00 to $318.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their target price on Willis Towers Watson Public from $387.00 to $383.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $369.08.

Willis Towers Watson Public Company 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.