Analyst Consensus ?
ConsensusBuy29 ratings
Bullish1965.5%
Neutral931.0%
Bearish13.5%
Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company · WTW · FY2026 Q1 · Calendar Q2 2026
WTW Q1 2026: AI Tools Scale, but Middle East Volatility Caps Revenue Growth
WTW delivered Q1 FY2026 results with 3% organic revenue growth and 70 basis points of adjusted operating margin expansion to 22.3%, but revenue landed at the low end of guidance as Middle East geopolitical volatility delayed Career business projects. The company is rapidly deploying AI across its platform, with tools like Neuron, Rewards AI, and WorkVue generating quantifiable productivity wins, while the Newfront integration is showing strong early results with sellers using the technology outperforming peers by roughly 50%. Despite the softer top line, management reaffirmed full-year targets of mid-single-digit organic growth and 100 bps of margin expansion, backed by at least $1 billion in share repurchases. The deceleration from Q4 2025's 6% organic growth to 3% in Q1 raises the bar for the remaining quarters, but the AI-driven efficiency gains and specialty line wins provide…
Reported Before market openNASDAQFinancial Services
$29.84B market cap
100quality score
Company context
Snapshot as of publicationWillis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (WTW) functions as a global provider of comprehensive consulting, brokerage, and solutions services. Its operations are structured across two primary divisions: Health, Wealth and Career, and Risk and Broking. Within the Health, Wealth and Career segment, WTW furnishes actuarial guidance, plan development, and administrative assistance for conventional pension and retirement savings schemes. It also delivers consulting, brokerage, and management services for health and group employee benefit programs, along with outsourced benefits administration. Furthermore, the company offers strategic counsel, analytical data, specialized software, and various products designed to help clients effectively manage their overall compensation and human capital challenges. The Risk and Broking division extends expertise in risk management, insurance placement, and advisory services, covering sectors such as property and casualty, aerospace, construction, and marine.…
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensus
Reported EPS
$3.72
Consensus $4
EPS surprise
+1.6%
Reported versus consensus
Reported revenue
$2.41B
Consensus $2.41B
Revenue surprise
-0.1%
Reported versus consensus
Earnings History
Estimate
Beat
Miss
Match
Analyst 52W Price Targets
$329.43Current
$247Low
$338.19Average
$400High
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Jul 30, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piper Sandler | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Jul 15, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Jul 9, 2026 |
| Mizuho | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Jul 9, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jul 9, 2026 |
| UBS | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 8, 2026 |
| Keefe, Bruyette & Woods | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Jul 8, 2026 |
| Barclays | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Jul 7, 2026 |
| Citigroup | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | May 6, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI Group | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | May 1, 2026 |
| BMO Capital | Outperform | Market Perform | Upgrade | May 1, 2026 |
| B of A Securities | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Apr 14, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Apr 6, 2026 |
| Truist Securities | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Feb 4, 2026 |
| TD Cowen | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Nov 10, 2025 |
| Raymond James | Strong Buy | Strong Buy | Maintain | Sep 22, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Apr 11, 2025 |
| Roth MKM | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 26, 2024 |
| Stifel | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Feb 7, 2024 |
| Baird | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | May 1, 2023 |
| Goldman Sachs | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Feb 27, 2023 |
| Credit Suisse | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Dec 15, 2022 |
| MKM Partners | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Dec 5, 2022 |
| Wolfe Research | Peer Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Oct 19, 2021 |
| Deutsche Bank | Hold | Hold | Maintain | May 3, 2021 |
| CFRA | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Mar 8, 2020 |
| SunTrust Robinson Humphrey | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 10, 2019 |
| William Blair | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Jan 15, 2018 |
| Janney Montgomery Scott | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Jun 23, 2016 |
| JP Morgan | Underweight | Underweight | Maintain | Feb 9, 2016 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $329.43. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Equities | Analyst unavailable | $360 | $287.3 | +9.3% | Jul 15, 2026 |
| Piper Sandler | Paul Newsome | $317 | $288.74 | -3.8% | Jul 15, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Analyst unavailable | $344 | $292.58 | +4.4% | Jul 9, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $361 | $292.58 | +9.6% | Jul 9, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $382 | $291.47 | +16.0% | Jul 8, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $374 | $258.12 | +13.5% | Jun 9, 2026 |
| Raymond James | Analyst unavailable | $340 | $261.92 | +3.2% | May 6, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $338 | $259.37 | +2.6% | May 5, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $275 | $259 | -16.5% | May 1, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Mark Marcon | $335 | $260.24 | +1.7% | May 1, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | Analyst unavailable | $360 | $263.78 | +9.3% | May 1, 2026 |
| Piper Sandler | Paul Newsome | $283 | $256.2 | -14.1% | May 1, 2026 |
| BMO Capital | Analyst unavailable | $300 | $256.2 | -8.9% | May 1, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Mark Hughes | $320 | $256.33 | -2.9% | Apr 30, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $353 | $285.58 | +7.2% | Apr 13, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Analyst unavailable | $354 | $287.86 | +7.5% | Apr 9, 2026 |
| Piper Sandler | Paul Newsome | $341 | $301.81 | +3.5% | Feb 23, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $409 | $319.38 | +24.2% | Feb 9, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Analyst unavailable | $400 | $338.86 | +21.4% | Feb 4, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $392 | $335.1 | +19.0% | Feb 4, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $379 | $335.1 | +15.0% | Feb 4, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Ryan Tunis | $345 | $329.28 | +4.7% | Jan 14, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $388 | $327.42 | +17.8% | Jan 14, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Elyse Greenspan | $366 | $329.45 | +11.1% | Jan 13, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $318 | $331.38 | -3.5% | Jan 8, 2026 |
| Goldman Sachs | Analyst unavailable | $375 | $331.38 | +13.8% | Jan 7, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | Analyst unavailable | $383 | $333.38 | +16.3% | Jan 7, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Yaron Kinar | $386 | $330.76 | +17.2% | Dec 15, 2025 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $356 | $325.52 | +8.1% | Dec 12, 2025 |
| Barclays | Alex Scott | $303 | $317.26 | -8.0% | Nov 20, 2025 |
| UBS | Brian Meredith | $398 | $348.68 | +20.8% | Oct 8, 2025 |
| Barclays | Alex Scott | $341 | $349.93 | +3.5% | Oct 8, 2025 |
| Piper Sandler | Analyst unavailable | $387 | $347.07 | +17.5% | Oct 6, 2025 |
| Evercore ISI | Analyst unavailable | $387 | $343.95 | +17.5% | Oct 1, 2025 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $377 | $342.2 | +14.4% | Sep 30, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Bob Huang | $345 | $329.31 | +4.7% | Aug 18, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Yaron Kinar | $382 | $311 | +16.0% | Dec 20, 2024 |
| Raymond James | Greg Peters | $400 | $331.79 | +21.4% | Dec 5, 2024 |
| Barclays | Alex Scott | $278 | $294.38 | -15.6% | Sep 4, 2024 |
| Wells Fargo | Elyse Greenspan | $321 | $281.52 | -2.6% | Jul 26, 2024 |
| Truist Financial | Mark Hughes | $335 | $280.81 | +1.7% | Jul 26, 2024 |
| CFRA | Catherine Seifert | $315 | $280.96 | -4.4% | Jul 26, 2024 |
| Evercore ISI | David Motemaden | $319 | $277.6 | -3.2% | Jul 25, 2024 |
| BMO Capital | Michael Zaremski | $298 | $272.2 | -9.5% | Feb 12, 2024 |
| Wells Fargo | Jared Shaw | $288 | $247.07 | -12.6% | Jan 11, 2024 |
| BMO Capital | Michael Zaremski | $205 | $203.44 | -37.8% | Aug 8, 2023 |
| Goldman Sachs | Robert Cox | $290 | $237.74 | -12.0% | Feb 27, 2023 |
| Goldman Sachs | Analyst unavailable | $271 | $256.13 | -17.7% | Jan 9, 2023 |
| Raymond James | Analyst unavailable | $280 | $245.24 | -15.0% | Dec 29, 2022 |
| Credit Suisse | Analyst unavailable | $302 | $243.42 | -8.3% | Dec 15, 2022 |
| Citigroup | Analyst unavailable | $247 | $245.63 | -25.0% | Dec 15, 2022 |
| MKM Partners | Analyst unavailable | $285 | $248 | -13.5% | Dec 5, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $240 | $236.06 | -27.1% | Nov 22, 2022 |
| Goldman Sachs | Robert Cox | $227 | $194.85 | -31.1% | Jul 15, 2022 |
Track every rating change on WTW the moment it posts. Free to start.
Start freeMarket reaction
prior-close to event-session close
Stock move
-11.7%
Event window
SPY move
+1.0%
Same window
Abnormal move
-12.7%
Stock minus SPY
Volume
3.2×
Versus trailing sessions
Subsequent drift
-2.5%
Up to 20 sessions
WTWSPY benchmark
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Try FN2 freeTranscript intelligence
What changed
Compared to Q4 2025, where WTW posted 6% organic revenue growth, Q1 2026 growth decelerated to 3% as Middle East project delays weighed on the Career segment. The AI narrative broadened from the WeDo platform to a wider suite including Neuron, Rewards AI, and WorkVue, with the first hard productivity metrics: a 90% reduction in endorsement processing time and a 33% cut in post-call wrap-up after 1.6 million summarized calls. The Willis Re joint venture is now confirmed as a $0.30 EPS headwind for 2026. Flowstone Partners closed in early April, while the Cushon acquisition is expected to close in Q2.
Guidance delta
Management maintained its full-year outlook for mid-single-digit organic revenue growth and 100 basis points of annual adjusted operating margin expansion. Share repurchases of at least $1 billion were reiterated. No change from prior guidance.
Key takeaways
- Q1 organic revenue grew 3% with 70 bps of margin expansion to 22.3%, but revenue was at the low end of guidance due to Middle East volatility affecting the Career business.
- AI tools are delivering measurable productivity gains: a 90% reduction in endorsement processing time and a 33% reduction in post-call wrap-up time after summarizing 1.6 million calls.
- Newfront technology integration shows strong early results, with colleagues using it selling approximately 50% more and halving client attrition.
- Full-year guidance for mid-single-digit organic growth and 100 bps of margin expansion was reaffirmed despite the softer quarter.
- Share repurchases of at least $1 billion confirmed, providing capital flexibility alongside ongoing M&A activity.
Management priorities
- Global launch of the Neuron AI-powered operating system across the firm.
- Scaling AI tools including Coverage Gap Analysis, Navigator, and Partner Management.
- Continued integration of Newfront technology across North America and other regions.
- Closing the Cushon acquisition in Q2 2026 and launching its fintech pension solutions in the UK.
- Pursuing strategic M&A opportunities while maintaining at least $1 billion in share repurchases.
Related earnings events
Financial ServicesHIG · FY2026 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026The Hartford Beats on Q2 Core Earnings, Divests Hartford Funds, Expands Buyback to $4.2BAXP · FY2026 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026AXP Q2 2026: Platinum Card Drives 10% Revenue Growth, Full-Year Guidance RaisedHBAN · FY2026 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026Huntington Bancshares Q2 2026: Strong Organic Growth, EPS Miss on Deposit Cost Pressure
Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-05-11T10:29:34.698584+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-07-26T00:37:12.209961+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-07-30T13:51:17.659060+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-07-30T13:51:17.656014+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated . For educational purposes only; not investment advice.