Willis Towers Watson Plc (NASDAQ: WTW)

Sector: Financial Services Industry: Insurance Brokers CIK: 0001140536
Market Cap 22.12 Bn
P/B 9.25
P/E 46.77
P/S 5.80
ROIC (Qtr) 12.22
Div Yield % 1.28
Rev 1y % (Qtr) -0.04
Total Debt (Qtr) 5.91 Bn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.76

About

Willis Towers Watson PLC (WTW), a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions company, operates in various industries and markets, serving clients that range from small and medium-sized enterprises to large multinational corporations. The company's main business activities involve providing data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk, and capital. WTW has a significant presence in different countries and regions, enabling it to cater to a diverse clientele. The company generates revenue through its two main segments: Health,...

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Price action

Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Healthy cash reserves of 1.90B provide 2.82x coverage of short-term debt 673M, demonstrating strong liquidity position and minimal refinancing risk.
  • Strong tangible asset base of 17.32B provides 2.93x coverage of total debt 5.91B, indicating robust asset backing and low credit risk.
  • Operating cash flow of 1.60B provides strong 11.45x coverage of stock compensation 140M, indicating sustainable incentive practices.
  • Operating cash flow of 1.60B provides exceptional 178.11x coverage of minority interest expenses 9M, showing strong core operations.
  • Tangible assets of 17.32B provide exceptional 9.27x coverage of deferred revenue 1.87B, showing strong service capability backing.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 1.60B provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (358M) with a -4.48 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • Cash reserves of 1.90B provide limited coverage of acquisition spending of 1.32B, which is 1.43x, suggesting aggressive expansion might strain liquidity if market conditions deteriorate.
  • Operating cash flow of 1.60B provides insufficient coverage of deferred revenue obligations of 1.87B, which is 0.86x, raising concerns about future service delivery capabilities.
  • Free cash flow of 1.38B represents just -230.17x of debt issuance (6M), suggesting concerning reliance on leverage rather than internal cash generation for growth.
  • Operating cash flow of 1.60B barely covers operating expenses of 2.13B with a 0.75 ratio, suggesting thin operational efficiency margins and limited flexibility.

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2024)

Geographical Breakdown of Revenue (2024)

Peer comparison

Companies in the Insurance Brokers
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 MMC Marsh & Mclennan Companies, Inc. 92.62 Bn 29.47 4.67 21.43 Bn
2 AON Aon plc 74.51 Bn 27.41 4.38 17.44 Bn
3 AJG Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. 55.76 Bn 51.09 5.25 13.69 Bn
4 BRO Brown & Brown, Inc. 22.82 Bn 108.30 13.93 7.97 Bn
5 WTW Willis Towers Watson Plc 22.12 Bn 46.77 5.80 5.91 Bn
6 ERIE Erie Indemnity Co 13.10 Bn 45.46 4.72 0.00 Bn
7 CRVL Corvel Corp 3.53 Bn 33.49 3.78 0.02 Bn
8 ARX Accelerant Holdings 2.62 Bn 96.44 4.35 0.12 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 0.88 0.83
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 78.19 26.54
EV to Debt EV to Debt 4.09 10.83
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 39.74 15.57
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 33.33 12.32
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 139.66 38.93
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.09 -1,866.90
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 6.34 2.59
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 9.25 3.17
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 46.77 24.79
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) 5.91 0.83
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 17.40 31.35
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 3.64 1.08
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 25.71 18.16
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 11.30 -4.53
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) 10.84 423.33
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) 38.12 -3.76
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) 4.60 -1.10
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 562.28 -9.09
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 144.83 -5.72
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 594.44 8.13
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 413.47 -4.46
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 386.99 -68.33
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) 16.44 -67.66
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) -0.02 52.95
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 0.36 0.62
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.20 0.16
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 0.14 0.54
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 1.10 2.11
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.76 0.93
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 11.30 -4.53
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 11.30 -4.53
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 35.10 6.16
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 29.95 -108.04
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 27.30 -14.94
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 100.00 53.35
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 21.60 -17.46