greeksoup/ stock research

Willis Towers Watson plc: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 31 October 2025: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Organic revenue grew 5%: Reported revenue was $2.29 billion, flat because of the TRANZACT sale. Excluding currency it fell 1%; on an organic basis it rose 5%. Source
  • HWC organic growth of 4%: HWC revenue was $1.26 billion, down 5% reported after the TRANZACT sale and up 4% organically. Health grew in all regions, partly offset by prior-year settlement activity. Source
  • R&B margin up 70 basis points: R&B operating margin reached 18.8%, up 70 basis points, on operating leverage and Transformation savings, partly offset by lower interest income and currency. Source
  • Adjusted operating margin up 230 basis points: Adjusted operating income was $467 million, a 20.4% margin, against $414 million and 18.1% a year earlier. Reported operating margin was 18.3%. Source
  • Free cash flow up $114 million: Nine-month free cash flow was $838 million, up from $724 million. The company attributed the rise to operating margin expansion and the end of remaining Transformation cash outflows. Source
  • Quarterly buyback of $600 million: The company repurchased 1,848,098 of its outstanding shares for $600 million in the third quarter of 2025. Source

“WTW’s market-leading solutions and focused execution on our strategy drove another quarter of strong results,”

Carl Hess, WTW’s Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Share repurchases Sourcefull year 2025~$1.5 billion
Foreign exchange effect on adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefourth quarter of 2025approximately $0.15 tailwind
Foreign exchange effect on adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefull year 2025approximately $0.10 tailwind
Bain Capital reinsurance joint venture effect on adjusted diluted EPS Source2025headwind of approximately $0.20; net headwind of approximately $0.10 per share at interest in earnings of associates level
R&B adjusted operating margin Sourcenext 3 years~100 basis points average annual margin expansion

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Reported non-GAAP metrics now exclude non-cash net periodic pension and postretirement benefits. Source
  • New: Free cash flow and its margin now include cash outflows for capitalized software costs. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Organic revenue grew 5%: Reported revenue was $2.29 billion, flat because of the TRANZACT sale. Excluding currency it fell 1%; on an organic basis it rose 5%. Source
  • Net income turned to profit: Net income was $306 million, against a prior-year net loss of $1.67 billion that included TRANZACT-related impairment and loss charges. Diluted EPS was $3.11. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 8%: Adjusted EBITDA was $515 million, 22.5% of revenue, up 8% from $479 million, or 20.9% of revenue, a year earlier. Source

Health, Wealth & Career segment

  • HWC organic growth of 4%: HWC revenue was $1.26 billion, down 5% reported after the TRANZACT sale and up 4% organically. Health grew in all regions, partly offset by prior-year settlement activity. Source
  • HWC margin rose to 28.6%: Segment operating margin was 28.6%, up 390 basis points, mainly from the TRANZACT sale. Excluding TRANZACT, the margin rose 100 basis points on operating efficiencies. Source
  • Wealth and Career drove growth: Wealth grew on Retirement work in Great Britain and North America and on Investments client wins. Career growth came from European advisory project demand. Source

“In the third quarter, we delivered a solid revenue performance, alongside strong operating margin expansion and earnings per share growth.”

Carl Hess, WTW’s Chief Executive Officer

Risk & Broking segment

  • R&B organic growth of 6%: R&B revenue was $1.01 billion, up 7% reported and 6% organically. Corporate Risk & Broking growth came from new business and project-based specialty placements. Source
  • R&B margin up 70 basis points: R&B operating margin reached 18.8%, up 70 basis points, on operating leverage and Transformation savings, partly offset by lower interest income and currency. Source
  • Nine-month R&B revenue and margin: Nine-month R&B revenue was $3.08 billion, up 6% reported. The nine-month segment margin was 20.7%, up from 19.8%. Source

Margins and earnings

  • Adjusted operating margin up 230 basis points: Adjusted operating income was $467 million, a 20.4% margin, against $414 million and 18.1% a year earlier. Reported operating margin was 18.3%. Source
  • Tax rates for the quarter: The U.S. GAAP tax rate was 19.7%, and the adjusted income tax rate used for adjusted EPS was 22.4%. Source
  • Nine-month adjusted EPS of $9.07: Nine-month adjusted diluted EPS was $9.07, against $8.33 a year earlier. Nine-month diluted EPS was $8.74. Source

“As we enter the fourth quarter, our sustained momentum and continued traction in the market give us confidence in our ability to reach our full year financial goals, despite macro uncertainty.”

Carl Hess, WTW’s Chief Executive Officer

Cash flow and capital returns

  • Free cash flow up $114 million: Nine-month free cash flow was $838 million, up from $724 million. The company attributed the rise to operating margin expansion and the end of remaining Transformation cash outflows. Source
  • Quarterly buyback of $600 million: The company repurchased 1,848,098 of its outstanding shares for $600 million in the third quarter of 2025. Source
  • Nine-month buybacks rose: Nine-month share repurchases in the cash flow statement were $1,300 million, against $506 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash at quarter end: Cash and cash equivalents were $1,895 million at September 30, 2025, against $1,890 million at December 31, 2024. Source
  • Debt at quarter end: Current debt was $550 million and long-term debt $4,763 million, against long-term debt of $5,309 million at December 31, 2024. Source

Coming up, as management said on 31 October 2025

  • Transformation cash outflows in 2025: Cash outflows are expected in 2025 for payment of accrued Transformation costs, although the program concluded in 2024. Source
  • Compensation survey revenue moves to Q4: Some compensation survey revenue moved from the third quarter to the fourth quarter because of a change in delivery patterns. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Insurance Consulting and Technology revenue was flat as clients managed spend more cautiously amid economic uncertainty. Source
  • External: Insurance rate headwinds weighed on Corporate Risk & Broking organic growth, offset by new business and project placements. Source
  • Demand: Lower North American commission revenue tempered Benefits Delivery & Outsourcing growth, which otherwise rose on European work. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management cites savings from the Transformation program, which concluded in 2024, as a driver of the R&B margin increase. Source
  • Not stated: Management expressed confidence in reaching its full-year financial goals; the release gives no status against those goals. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.